Different Always Means The Same Thing
by Kenkaya
Summary: Inuyasha X Men xover: After being sealed by Kikyou, Inuyasha is awakened five hundred years later by a young mutant. As he witnesses the prejudice she faces, he finds himself sympathizing with her condition. InuKag, MirSan
1. Uncanny Beginnings: Prologue

A/N: Well, I'm currently experimenting with Rurouni Kenshin fanfiction, but I just saw X-Men 2, and this idea sort of hit me. What if I compared the prejudice of both the X-Men and Inuyasha stories? I didn't want to make Inuyasha a mutant, because that would be too easy, so I figured I'd go for an alternate story line instead. That said enjoy my first Inuyasha fanfiction!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or X-Men or the idea of mutants. I work a crappy minimum wage job and write this for my own pleasure.

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Prologue

By Kenkaya

Feudal Japan: Sometime during the Sengoku Jidai…

Pain.

He felt the point of the arrow dig into his chest. Pinned, helpless, he watched the jewel fly out of his hand. His hopes, his dreams; gone. The pink sphere bounced along the ground, one clawed hand desperately reaching out toward it. He felt a strange tingle where the arrow struck that slowly began to spread through his body. The arrow was spelled.

"Inuyasha!"

The owner of the arrow stood before him in all her glory. Her long silky, black locks were tied back with a strip of cloth, the ends blowing dramatically in the wind. Hard brown eyes fixated on him with a passion and hatred he never believed her possible of expressing. So imposing was her presence that he didn't notice the deep gash on her shoulder, nor the crimson liquid that spilled from it unbidden.

"Kikyou," he gasped with the last of his strength. "You bitch! Why…" _did you betray me?_ But he didn't get to finish his sentence. His strength gave out and the world became darkness.

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Present Day: In our not to distant future…

Kagome Higurashi walked down a fairly busy street with her brother in tow. The eight-year-old was chatting non-stop about various nonsense, carrying on the way young children do. The warm breeze of early summer ran through her raven locks, pulling a few strands loose from her blue headband.

"Oh, why not," she muttered, removing the confining hair article to let the wind play uninhibited with her long black tresses. She felt almost carefree…

"Well, well. If it isn't our resident freak," a familiar voice called out. Kagome immediately stiffened. She reached to grab her brother's shoulder, but Souta easily slipped past her grip and turned to face his sister's defacer.

"Don't call my sister a freak!" he shouted at the handsome boy with red-brown hair. The boy smirked.

"All mutants are freaks," he answered with an air of certainty. "You're probable a mutant too. What's the matter? Afraid to use those freaky powers of yours? Come on! give me your best shot, mutie!"

"Houjou-kun, please, just leave him alone," Kagome said calmly. She knew better than to rise to his bait. That would just get her into more trouble than she needed.

"What? Sticking up for the little brat? He must be a mutant then. All you freaks gang up together."

"Houjou! You know perfectly well he's too young!"

"How much do you wanna bet at fifteen he'll fall through the classroom floor when he has a nightmare at school?"

Kagome blushed at the memory. That was so embarrassing! But math class was boring, she couldn't help falling asleep! And if it wasn't enough, the fall left her with a pretty nasty bruise. Her expression immediately hardened as she remembered Houjou's hateful words afterward and the tears they cost her. She promised herself she wouldn't waste anymore time on him.

"Come on, Souta. We're going," she announced as she clutched his small hand and turned away from the prejudice boy.

"When did you become such a coward, Higurashi? I remember when you use to stick up for yourself. Looks like those powers of yours aren't so great after all."

Kagome spun around to pierce him with a defiant glare. Houjou stepped back, reminded of the old ferocity and fire that made up Kagome's temper. For a brief moment he remembered what she was and actually feared for his life.

"And I remembered a time when I thought you loved me," she responded icily. "I thought you, of anybody, would know about changes in character and perspective."

"You don't know anything, mutant!" Houjou shot back.

"I pity you, Houjou-kun," Kagome sighed with a shake of her head. "I truly pity you."

"I'm not the one who walks through walls! I'm not the one who deserves pity!" Houjou yelled at her retreating back. Souta merely clung to his sister with confusion in his brown eyes.

The sky deepened with twilight. Kagome and Souta walked side by side in comfortable silence. The boy chewed his lower lip, pondering whether to break the moment.

"Neechan," he finally began when they reached the shrine steps that lead to their home. "Why'd you walk away? He was calling us bad names! You should have beat him up!"

Kagome knelt down to her brother's level and placed a gentle hand on either side of him.

"Because he can't help it, Souta, anymore than I can help being what I am. He doesn't know any better. If I beat him up for that, I'd be no better than him."

"I still think you should have beat him up," Souta grumbled as they ascended the stairs. Kagome chuckled good-naturedly.

"You'll understand when you're older, Souta." _I hope you understand_, she added silently.

The windows in the house were dark. The porch light hadn't been turned on either. Kagome cursed as she tripped up the steps, fumbling through her purse.

"Great, I forgot the house keys! Souta hold on."

The boy squealed with glee as his sister took in a deep breath and stepped through the solid wood door. There were no flashing auras or fancy sparks to mark the event; she simply slipped through the matter, like flour falling through a sifter. A few seconds later, the lock clicked and the door opened. The excited boy ran into the inky black interior bumping into something soft.

"Itai! Souta! Watch it!"

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Kagome shook her head and groped for the light: she couldn't see a thing!

"Now, Souta. When I get the light on, a want you to go straight upstairs and do your homework. We spent too much time at the arcade and, THERE!"

The lights flickered on. A woman sat in the middle of the room. Kagome quickly pushed Souta behind her, crouching down into a defensive posture.

"What do you want?! What are you doing in my house?!"

The woman smirked confidently, her unnatural ruby red eyes glowing. Oily black hair was swept up in a stylish side bun and decorated with several feathers, her pointed ears and green, glass ball earrings giving her an exotic look. A long dress skirt and silk, turquoise blouse simply added to the overall effect. When she spoke, her voice came out smooth and practiced.

"Why, young Kagome, I've come to give you an offer."

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TBC...


	2. Mistakes

A/N: Well, here's the first chapter, now revised for better viewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, X-Men, the idea of mutants, or the Shinto religion. I'm a poor college student writing this for my own pleasure to escape the brutal truths of reality. Or schoolwork, take your pick.

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Chapter 1: Mistakes

By Kenkaya

"What the Hell makes you think I'll listen to you after you break into my house?!" Kagome screeched. Souta cowered behind her legs, peering out at the strange elfish woman.

The woman tapped a folded fan against her chin in a thoughtful gesture.

"Oh! Forgive me. I don't believe I introduced myself. My name is Kagura Kazuki. I work for a mildly prestigious business man named O.N. Gumo. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

Kagome snorted, "Heard of him? The man practically owns half of Tokyo! He's the Bill Gates of Japan for crying out loud! What could he possibly want from me?"

"You'd be surprised," Kagura smiled. Somehow the smile twisted, almost cruelly. Kagome made a mental note not to trust this woman. "You see," Kagura continued, "Gumo-san is actually an underground mutant himself."

Silence.

"Wow," Kagome blinked after the dramatic pause. "I wonder how he kept that one out of the tabloids."

"Oh, we have our ways," Kagura snipped. "The point is, my employer has taken an interest in you and your developing… abilities. I've come on his behalf. Please, take a seat."

"This isn't your house! You still haven't told me why you broke in. Couldn't you have waited outside or come at another time?"

"My dear," Kagura clucked her tongue condescendingly. "Anyone who works for Gumo-san knows you don't postpone an errand. You get it done right then and there and you certainly don't return without progress! Surely you didn't expect me to wait for you outside in the cold dark?"

"That's what you were doing in here," Kagome muttered. "All the lights were off and it's almost summer."

Kagura sent her a look that clearly said she was too observant for her own good. Kagome fumed at the woman's superior attitude. She suddenly became aware of the tightening grip on the pant leg of her jeans.

"Souta. Go upstairs and do your homework."

"But, neechan…"

"No buts. Go upstairs while I talk to Kagura," she said, deliberately not using an honorific on the older woman. Kagura narrowed her satanic ruby eyes at the blatant disrespect. Souta, unaware of the female exchange, grumbled and trudged loudly up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Now that the child is out of the way," Kagura gestured to a wicker chair across from the sofa where she sat. Kagome glared and took the seat reluctantly. She wanted answers out of this woman, and she wasn't going to get them by being repeatedly uncouth.

"Okay, I'm sitting. What do you want?"

"It's not what I want, child. My employer is the one interested in you. I personally don't give a damn. I'm just following orders."

"Boy, aren't we Mary Sunshine today?"

"As I was saying," Kagura interrupted pointedly. "Gumo-san, like ourselves, is different. He has managed to hide his more… unique talents from society and create quite a name for himself. Since he made his fortune, he has made it a habit to take in children like us who have been shunned for what we are. Children who didn't have the chances he did. You will live in a dorm with others of your own kind. There you will find acceptance, friendship, but most importantly, safety from the outside. You will be schooled on the premises with your peers in both curriculum and how to utilize your mutant abilities to their fullest potential. I assure you your life will be quite comfortable and you will never receive another opportunity like this."

Kagome stared at the woman. The offer was extremely tempting. She would never be hurt like she was with Houjou again, or pretend not to notice when people skidded around her in the school halls. Pretend not to see the whispers. Sanctuary; it all seemed so perfect. Too perfect. She might have completely overlooked the observation had she not taken an immediate distrust in the woman.

"What's the catch?"

Kagura blinked and gave her another 'too-smart-for-your-own-good' look. "Why, Kagome, there's no catch. You will be expected to work for Gumo-san, but I wouldn't necessarily call that a catch."

"What kind of work?"

"That will be arranged if and when you accept," Kagura sighed, already tiring of the saleswoman routine.

"Tell Gumo-san I'll think on it. Now if you don't mind leaving… my grandpa should be home soon and he's going to freak if he finds out a mutant broke into our home."

"I will relay your message and return in three days. That should be more than enough time to 'think on it.'"

The woman excused herself and floated toward the door. Kagome did not rise to accompany her. In the blink of an eye, she was gone with the wind.

Kagome sighed with relief and sunk into the chair, determined not to move for another few hours. Alas, school, with its demon teachers and heresy known as homework, beckoned. Kagome pulled herself out of the thin cushions with a very audible groan and plodded to her discarded backpack by the door.

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"Souta! Kagome, honey! I'm home!"

Kagome slammed her book shut on the evil math problem she was working on (true, all math problems were evil, but this one was especially so) and ran down to meet her mother. A blur passed her as she opened the door and Kagome muttered some nonsense about crazy boys who always bounced off the walls.

"Mama! How's Jiichan?!"

"Why don't you ask me yourself? I'm not dead yet!"

Kagome chuckled and skipped down to greet her family. Her mother, with cropped black curls and warm brown eyes smiled. Jiichan, his skin pasty from deteriorating health, enveloped her in his frail arms.

"Ah! Kagome! It's so wonderful to see you again. You're not still friends with that Sango character are you? Heard from her aunt at the hospital that she got involved with some mutant fellow. Dangerous things, these mutants. I still say they're disguised youkai who are finally showing their true colors! We must protect ourselves against their dark auras at all costs!" the old man shook his feeble fist for emphasize. Kagome lowered her head slightly and Mrs. Higarashi looked at her daughter with reassurance in her eyes. Souta simply remained silent as he was told to do in these situations.

Of all the family members, Jiichan was the only one still unaware of Kagome's strange attributes. The rest of the family agreed that the shock could be bad for his heart and withheld certain bits of information: such as the fact that Sango was one of the few friends who didn't abandon Kagome after the math class incident. Sango had given Kagome a shoulder to cry on when Houjou chewed out her heart. And Miroku, despite his wandering hands and lecherous ways, was a good man worthy of Sango's open heart.

But the old man continued to rant, empathizing with Sango's family for having their daughter seduced by a "youkai." As with Houjou, Kagome found herself pitying her grandfather. Pity for his ignorance and narrow mind that could never see beyond the ugly half-truth.

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Sometimes, Kagome wished her inheritance could be more on the lines of, oh, say… the Texas Oil fields. But no, she was the heir to an ancient Shinto shine and right now, she'd really go for owning the oil fields. At least then she'd probably have enough money to pay someone to lock the place down at night.

Since her grandfather's re-occurring illness surfaced about a year ago, more and more duties of the shrine fell on her shoulders. Hence, Kagome found herself outside at exactly 11:21 p.m., giving the property a once over before closing it completely down.

Shadows slithered suggestively across the paved stone. Faded moonlight accented the effect and Kagome couldn't help the shiver running down her spine. She hated this job.

A giant tree, Goshimboku, loomed into view. Its base was enclosed by a small mini-shrine, covered with weathered ofudas. Kagome knew, within the shrine's sacred protections, laid the mummified remains of a youkai pinned to the holy tree: one of the shrines main attractions.

She remembered Jiichan giving her her first view as a child. Most young girls would have shrunken from the sun-dried corpse, but not Kagome. She was strangely fascinated by the decaying corpse. Wrinkled brown skin stuck to the contours of his skull, eyes shut tight and sunken in. But what caught her attention was the pure silver hair, untouched by age, and two pointed, leathery dog ears that poked between the strands.

"No, Kagome!" Jiichan called as he yanked her childish form away. "You mustn't touch such an unholy object with your bare hands and no training! You never know what might happen! This youkai single-handedly destroyed the original shrine that was build here and was sealed by one of the great mikos, costing the woman her own life. You must never risk awakening him."

Kagome smiled at the memory. Jiichan had been so energetic back then, always bustling around the grounds and managing to keep her small body out of Inuyasha's Shrine, as the building was affectionately dubbed. Even now, as she secured the gate's padlock, she felt drawn to it. Hesitantly, she reached a tentative finger to trace the ancient brass lock…

Rustle.

Kagome turned. Nothing. Just the familiar dark images fabricated by her mind. Satisfied, she turned to begin her stressful trek to the main house.

Snap.

She whipped around, eyes darting. Again, nothing. God, she was getting paranoid.

A gloved hand grabbed Kagome's face roughly. Another foreign arm snaked around her waist, pinning her arms in the process. Fear. The emotion floored her senses as she felt her petite body crush into a wide, barrel chest.

"Well, well. What have we hear?"

Panic flooded her mind, banishing chaos. Everything was so incredibly focused; so frightfully clear. Without a second thought to comprehension, she slipped through his arms and ran. She didn't even feel the tickling sensation of shifting molecules like she usually did.

"Damn! He didn't tell us she could do that!"

Kagome fled, trusting blind instinct to lead her. She heard boots slap the pavement behind her, gaining fast. A peach shawl, thrown hastily over the shoulders of her thin pajamas earlier, fluttered to the ground. Her breath grew ragged. A sheen layer of sweat shone on her flushed face. Her mind was blank, running on automatic. All she was aware of was the large man pursuing her, and the looming outline of Inuyasha's Shrine.

"Kouga!" the man roared into a communication device hidden somewhere in the folds of his non-existent neck. "Get your wimpy ass here! NOW!"

The shrine. Protection. Safety.

The whoosh of heavy wind howled in her ears. There was no breeze tonight. She sprinted the final stretch with a spontaneous burst of strength, the unnatural wind lapping at her heels. As she phased through the planked wood, fingers slid through her lower back. A discerning tingle rippled through her tense muscles.

Thuck!

Kagome heard the speed demon's collision. Mind unable to reach her feet in time; she flew off the small viewing platform that encircled the shrine's interior. She cried out as she crashed through the ancient roots. Her hip smashed against the ground. Hard. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

With a start, Kagome realized she landed right beneath the youkai's perch. Moonlight streamed through cracks in the ceiling, giving the atmosphere an eerie glow. Snowy locks shone with a pearly luminance as she gazed into his preserved face once more.

Bang!

Her attackers were trying to break in! Kagome spared a glance at the shrine door before returning her eyes to the entrapped youkai. An inexplicable urge to touch his ears overcame her. Without hesitation, Kagome pulled herself onto the raised root at his feet and reached out to him. The appendage was still warm. Tenderly, she rubbed the leathery, grey hide between her fingers. He didn't look dangerous to her. If Kagome hadn't already known the story by heart, she would have sworn he was shot in his sleep.

Suddenly, Kagome began to question her grandfather's interpretation. She didn't know why, but she felt a sort of connection with him. Sympathy for his plight. Could he have been prejudged against? Like her? The vision formed itself so easily in her mind; a young boy, misunderstood and lashing out the only way he knew how: with anger. A self-righteous priestess, eradicating the danger the only way she was able: with extermination.

The flaking arrow shaft protruded from his heart and Kagome suddenly found the object offensive. Jiichan told her the priestess sealed him with enchanted sleep. Did he dream in his sleep? Did he have nightmares? Living a cycle of various nightmares, all exposing base fears, all tearing at carefully constructed walls… nobody deserved that.

Ba… bang!

The thugs continued to work on the shrine lock while Kagome contemplated. The arrow captured her focus. She was well acquainted with rejection and unjustified punishment. The lengths people went to just to secure their security sickened her. Nobody deserved this.

Chck! Cla… ta… clack!

The lock fell to the pavement outside. Kagome grabbed the arrow and yanked.

Boom!

The door slammed open. The wood of the shaft fell apart in flakes and splinters. The rest of the rotting remains floated to the ground as dust.

"Stupid bitch!"

A hand grabbed the back of her pajamas, surprising her. The man took advantage of the situation and threw her across to the wall behind him. She slid down to the platform with a groan and blinked her now blurry eyes. Everything pulsed and spun. Violently.

"Ooo! That was a little harsh, Manten."

"Shut up, wolf! I would have gotten us in here a lot sooner if…"

"You moron! That would have gotten the whole neighborhood's attention! What part of 'covert operations' don't you understand?"

Kagome cleared her head just in time to find the big guy leaning over her. The eyes through his black mask twinkled with sadistic pleasure. She coiled her muscles and prepared to phase to her escape, when her sight caught on the tree trunk behind his back. Her eyes widened.

"What the Hell's the matter with you, woman?!" the guy yelled to the paralyzed girl. She simply stared past him, too shocked with what was happening before her eyes.

"Uh… Manten…"

Manten turned to face the other masked man in black, smaller and more slender than him. He then realized what everyone was staring at.

An unearthly glow illuminated the youkai mummy, pulsing in rhyme with his heart. His face and limbs began to fill out, skin fading from a ghastly grey-brown to a healthier tan-pink. His ears turned the same pure white as his hair and flicked to life as sound reached them.

Kagome and the two thugs watched in horrid fascination as the decaying corpse transformed into a living, breathing creature before them. The boy stirred and his eyes snapped open. He pierced them with a gaze of savage amber.

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TBC…


	3. One Hella 'va WakeUp Call

A/N: Revised on 1/31/08 for your reading pleasure. It's still a bit shorter than my usual chapters but I just couldn't resist that cliffhanger.

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Chapter 2: One Hella 'va Wake-Up Call

By Kenkaya

Inuyasha suddenly became aware of himself. He had been lying in the void for longer then he could remember. Scattered images drifted across his mind. A woman with long raven hair and soft violet eyes hugged him. Tears welled in her eyes, finding bittersweet release along the contours of her cheeks. Fire. Running. Pain. Something solid. Colliding. Hurting. Hard brown eyes. He was sitting in a tree, watching a young woman bathe. She knelt, an expression of hopelessness flittering across her usually expressionless face. Loneliness. They sat in a field together. Companionship. A promise. A future. He was running. The wind whipped through his hair as he leapt. More pain. An arrow. Her arrow.

Betrayal.

Alone again.

Warmth. A calming presence engulfed him. Touched him. Rubbed his ears. Sympathy and understanding flowed through the simple touch, rejuvenating him. Leaving him with peace of mind.

Then his body tingled. Years of stagnant blood coursed once more through his veins. Bones, brittle with age, strengthened back to their youthful state. He could feel his skin stretch back to form. His nervous system kicked back in with a vengeance. Pins everywhere. Poking. He didn't like it. Sound. He could hear crickets and strange rumbling noises in the distance. Grinding. Unpleasant. The breath and heart beat of each person around him (three by count) was painfully clear. The air stunk of old age and something unrecognizable. Foul. Sensation overwhelmed him. He stirred. The dim light of the moon filtered through his eyelids. They snapped open, eager to soak in the new wonder.

They rested on the three figures before him. Two were masked men, dressed in black. One was small and slender, the other large and somewhat malformed. But what captured his attention was the frightened, raven-haired girl against the wall. The larger man loomed over her like a predator. That girl looked awfully familiar…

Then he remembered.

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His eyes were beautiful.

Kagome nearly lost herself in the depths of wild amber. At first they looked inquisitive, almost child-like, with a hard edge to them distinctly his own. Then they focused on her. They widened ever so slightly and Kagome thought she spotted a spark of recognition. Amber slitted eyes narrowed. A multitude of emotions painted themselves across the iridescence yellow irises. Kagome saw disbelief, anger, shame, and… hurt? Then, so quickly the girl wondered if she just imagined those signs, the features of his face contorted into pure rage, overriding the presence of all other emotions.

"What the FUCK?!"

The youkai boy switched his gaze to the slender masked man, breaking the spell. Kagome let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The masked man observed him for a moment and chuckled.

"Heh. Look's just like a puppy to me."

"K… Kouga!" The larger man stammered.

The boy smirked. He reached one clawed hand forward. The snapping of dry and green wood echoed through the small structure as vines fell away from his body. Kagome saw bright red as green and brown crumbled away. Archaic clothing, not visible before through the ages of foliage, folded around his lithe, muscular form. The crimson cloth looked as pristine as his silver, white hair. Amber glowed dangerously in the moonlight.

"We're gonna die!"

"Shut up, Manten! Blast the bastard!"

"I thought you said…"

The boy leaned forward lightly. The last of the vines cracked as he landed on the root below his perch: free.

"JUST DO IT, DUMBASS!"

The large man opened his enormous mouth. A golden light dimly lit the room. Kagome heard the crackle of energy; a static feeling brushed her skin and the little hairs all over her body were suddenly on end. She followed his aim, to the reawakened youkai, staring intently at the man who insulted him.

"Look out!" she screamed as a bolt of thunder shot toward the distracted boy. The boy glanced behind himself nonchalantly and flipped over the blast. A blur of silver and red rushed Manten.

"Sankontetsusou!"

Five scarlet streaks sliced neatly across Manten's throat. The bulky figured gurgled and crashed to the ground as life pulsed out of him in torrents. Kagome's eyes followed with rapt attention.

"You bastard!"

Kouga surged with inhuman speed at the youkai. He broke his streamline momentum in an exaggerated spin kick. The dog-eared boy stood in place as the black-booted foot connected point blank with his gut. Kouga pushed off his stomach and flipped, ending gracefully in a kneeling position. His jaw dropped.

The youkai boy grinned haughtily and raised a hand.

"Weak."

He grabbed Kouga's masked face with an open palm and shoved him easily into the wall. Wood splintered at the hard contact. Kouga slid to his knees, clutching his head. He looked up with throbbing vision.

Bare feet approached him. Slowly. Precisely.

Kouga panicked. He jumped up, ignoring his body's protests, and made a fast get away.

"Screw this! Naraku can do his own damn dirty work!"

The youkai bunched his muscles, prepared to pursue the fleeing mutant. All mercy was drained away in the heat of battle lust.

"Don't! Please!"

The boy halted and spun to face her.

"What?!"

Kagome gulped nervously. His voice was both smooth and harsh, as if he were trying to hide its gentle nature. She raised her chin and continued boldly.

"Please, I don't want to watch anyone else die. You've won. Just let him go."

The youkai's feet padded against bare wood as he came closer. She stared him down as he grabbed her roughly and slammed her lightly into the wall. She kept contact with his intense eyes, so filled with anger. True, some of it was directed at her, but she sensed the majority of it centered around something more. The pain of the outcast. She knew it too well. Kagome mustered all of her empathy into that one stare.

His grip tightened, almost painfully. He clenched his jaw as if he were resigning himself to the task at hand. Kagome knew it would be a simple matter of phasing to escape, but somewhere deep down, she knew not to be afraid. She knew he wouldn't kill her. Beneath the layers of defense, he was a good person. She could see it in his unsteady resolve.

His eyes narrowed.

"So you don't want to watch anyone else die? Kikyou?"

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TBC…


	4. Explanations and a Few NearDeath Experie...

A/N: Revised on 2/4/08 for your reading pleasure.

Now, a brief Japanese Lesson: I've gotten several reviews (at least one of them a bit nasty) claiming I've misspelled "Kouga's" name and that it should be spelled "Koga." Actually, it's a matter of interpretation. His name is phonetically spelled with a double vowel in hiragana so the "o" sound is drawn out. Until Japan _finally_ decides to give us poor English speakers an official standard for romanizing their language, the double vowel could correctly be represented with the spellings: "Kouga," "Kohga," or (my least favorite choice, which the Viz translators decided to use) you can ignore the double vowel altogether and spell it "Koga." I personally prefer "Kouga" so that's the spelling I'll use in all my Inuyasha stories. The same logic goes for the names of Houjou, Kikyou, Shippou, and Souta.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or X-Men.

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Chapter 3: Explanations and a Few Near-Death Experiences

By Kenkaya

Kikyou?

Kagome blinked. She was pinned, a clawed hand grasping each shoulder. The boy continued to stare her down with fierce amber. Accusing amber. She cautiously bent her arm at the elbow and lifted a finger to point at her face.

"You mean me?"

"Who else," he snarled, revealing ivory fangs. Kagome didn't shy away from the aggressive display.

"If you were talking to me, then why did you call me Kikyou?" she said matter-of-factly.

"What else would I call you, wench?!"

"My name!"

"Stop your fooling…"

At that moment, the boy took time to sniff the air gingerly. His eyes widened as

his grip loosened considerably.

"You're… you're not her!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy. My name's Kagome," she replied with a playful shake of her head and a small smile. The boy released her, stepping back with a semi-thoughtful look.

"You smell kinda like her, but I was stupid. Kikyou was pretty," he murmured almost to himself. "And intelligent looking," he added as an after thought.

Kagome fumed at his words, smile erased immediately from her face. The temper that Houjou backed away from earlier surfaced in full swing.

"Well… well, excuse me for being myself! And are you even going to enlighten me on who this Kikyou-person is?! Considering you attacked ME thinking I was her and then suddenly change your mind to comment on how much more of a prima-donna she is!"

"A prima… what?"

"Why should I tell you when you won't tell me a thing?!"

"Feh, stupid girl. I don't have to tell you nothing!"

"Same here! And that's not even grammatically correct!"

"Who cares, wench!"

"Idiot!"

"Bitch!"

"Wha… How DARE YOU!"

"Feh!"

"Fine! Be that way!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Both parties turned away from each other and huffed, wondering what had just happened. The boy glanced around in the silence while Kagome took deep breaths to calm herself.

"Oi."

"What?" Kagome peeked back at the youkai boy, mildly annoyed. He now shifted on the balls of his bare feet, nervous but trying to hide the emotion with his overbearing front.

"Where am I?"

Kagome's stubbornness melted at the simple, yet desperate, question. She suddenly became aware of his dilemma; he was from hundreds of years in the past, this was practically another world to him. Despite his brash temper, the youkai needed her.

"Kagome!"

She mentally cursed. Of all times for Jiichan to rouse out of bed to check on her…

"KAGOME!"

The boy cracked his knuckles as the voice came closer. Kagome only had to glance at his claw, tipped fingers and gleaming eyes to know the youkai's intent.

"No!" she hissed urgently. "I'll take care of him! Just stay in here and wait until I come back to get you. Please!"

"Feh! Why should I?"

"I'll… I'll tell you what a prima donna is!"

The boy arched a dark eyebrow. Kagome gave an unsettling smile and marched resolutely to the broken door.

"Be easier if I just killed the geezer."

"You. Will. _Not_. Harm my grandfather!" Kagome hissed as she whirled around to face him.

"Feh!"

Kagome sighed and took that response as a yes. She peered through the doorway to spot her grandfather only a few feet away. She jumped back a good foot.

"Ack! Jiichan! Don't scare me like that!"

"Kagome… what happened?!" the old man exclaimed as he examined the cracked wood of the doorframe.

"Uh… I'm not sure."

"Are you hurt?"

"No… it was like this when I came here!"

"I thought I heard shouting…"

"Jiichan, you're not imagining things are you? It was probably just a nightmare or… something. Yeah, some punks must have broken in earlier tonight and left the place like this. That's all!"

"Let me check inside, they might have vandalized something important! Young one's these days have no respect for the sacred!"

Kagome rushed forward and placed a firm hand on her grandfather's shoulder. She didn't want to risk him seeing the youkai boy she awakened or the corpse of the mutant who assaulted her. He'd probably have a stroke or a heart attack.

"I… I already checked! Looks like the door was the only damage! Come on, Jiichan, you just got back from the hospital. You shouldn't be outside like this."

"Oh, Kagome," the old man called as the energetic young girl steered him away from Goshimboku and the mini-shrine.

"Yes, Jiichan?"

"Please be more careful with this," he said, holding up the peach colored shawl she had dropped during the chase. "It was your grandmother's."

"Oh, sorry," Kagome mumbled as she took back the shawl. "You just settle yourself back into bed. I'll go back and try to shut the place up a bit."

"Its okay, Kagome," he sighed. "It's late. We'll do that tomorrow, together. I need something to do that will get me outdoors! It's just too cramped being inside all the time!"

"O… Okay," Kagome replied shakily. Great, now she had to get the youkai out of there and take care of a dead body by morning. Joy.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the main house, Kagome bid a hasty goodnight to her grandfather and bound up the stairs. Shutting the door carefully behind her, she leaned against the sturdy wood until the sounds from Jiichan's room ceased.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered as she walked across sea green tatami mats to the window. Sliding the metal-framed, glass panel aside, Kagome jumped up to sit on the small sill. A warm breeze ruffled her hair as she closed her eyes, recalling a memory.

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xxxxxx

"PERVERT!"

Sango slapped Miroku, who was currently enjoying a feel of her backside. The young boy raised a placating hand to the furious girl, his right hand gloved in a gauntlet that sealed the vacuum on his hand.

"Come on, Sango-chan! I was just joking!"

Do you see me _laughing_?!" the maroon-eyed girl screamed.

Kagome sighed at the antics of her two friends. A few students had already scooted away from them in the school courtyard. Not that there were too many near them in the first place, most kids avoided the two mutants and their weird human friend.

"Calm down, Sango. I'm sorry, oka… Ow! I'm sorry!"

Kagome leaned against a tree and flipped open her math book as Sango proceeded to beat her boyfriend to a bloody pulp. Eventually the two settled things with a make-out session, leaving Kagome to shake her head in wonder. The young mutant turned her attention back to her math book; she wasn't doing too well in the subject. Whipping out a blank paper, she began deciphering the enigmatic problems.

"Oh!" a sudden gust of wind picked up the sheet of half-finished homework. Sango broke the lip lock to hold down her army camouflage skirt. Miroku pouted over the lack of "scenery" and Sango, guessing the cause, slapped him again. Kagome threw her book on the grass and ran after the paper.

The sheet fluttered from breeze to breeze. Kagome dodged, reaching vainly for the work she sweated over. It drifted in place for a moment. Almost…

A couple stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Desperate, Kagome furrowed her eyebrows and ran through them. The prickling feel reverberated through her body and back lashed over the unfortunate couple.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Kagome ignored their screams and leaned forward… snatch! Triumph! She glanced down to notice she had run over the edge of a ditch after phasing through the couple, and she wasn't falling. Key word: wasn't. As she touched the paper, gravity rushed in on her body. With a cry, she plummeted to the ground.

"That's gonna leave grass stains."

Kagome looked up at Sango with confused brown eyes, mindless of her torn jeans.

"Did… did I just… stand on air?"

"Looked that way to me," Miroku commented with a shrug and a fleeting fantasy of Kagome replaying that scene with a skirt on. Sango noticed the lecherous grin and elbowed him.

"It makes sense, Kagome," Sango began. "Your power is intangibility, so, it's quite possible you could make yourself intangible to not only solid objects but air itself."

Kagome merely nodded at the science whiz.

"If you wanted to test it further, we could go up to the roof…"

"Um… I think I'll pass on that," Kagome sweat-dropped.

"Geez, Sango-chan… I'd never thought you'd go that far for science. Alas! I fear my own life is in peril!" the drama student exclaimed.

"Miroku!" Sango scolded before he created an air-seal on their lips. Kagome groaned and pulled herself out of the ditch.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

Kagome sighed into the night, legs dangling over the edge of her window. Pastel pajamas glowed in the dim moonlight. Taking one last breath, she shut her eyes tight in concentration and pushed off the window sill once the familiar tingle washed over her body.

She didn't fall.

Kagome cracked her eyes open and, without distracting herself by feeling relief, stepped down. She continued to walk down the air, like stairs, never breaking her focus.

Until red and silver caught her eye. Kagome peered down, finding the youkai boy standing below her with a slack expression. Her eyes widened as they met with his. Why wasn't he in the shrine? She had no more time to ponder as the wind whistled through her raven hair. The cement ground rushed toward her. She had no time to scream.

Warm arms surrounded her. She felt herself being pulled up as she pressed into a slender, muscular chest. She barely noticed how well their bodies fit together before they landed in her window and she was dumped unceremoniously on the nearest tatami mat. The boy jumped off of her sill and plopped, cross-legged on the floor.

"Alright, wench. I think it's about time you started talking."

"What?" Kagome questioned, still stunned from her fall.

"Your scent. I can tell you're human, but there's something different. I smelled the same thing on those two goons. You were just walking on air, you're not a youkai, and you don't look like any witch to me."

Kagome sighed and settled into a more comfortable position.

"You're right. I'm not a youkai and I'm not… completely human. I'm a mutant."

"A what?!"

"Mutant. It's caused by a genetic mutation in the human DNA strand that creates people like me. It's a pretty recent development."

The youkai merely blinked. Kagome laughed.

"Look, I think we should start at the beginning of things. I told you my name. Will you tell me yours?"

"Uh…" the boy seemed to think for a moment before grumbling, "Inuyasha."

Kagome laughed again at this. Inuyasha's Shrine… she should have guessed!

"Al… alright, Inuyasha," she said after recovering from her brief fit. "You asked me where you were back in the shrine. Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?"

Inuyasha eyed her warily and stated, "I stole the Shikon no Tama and Kikyou shot me."

"Is that all?"

He shifted then added, "She shot me, I dropped the jewel and," his voice became barely audible, "I kinda passed out. But it wasn't my fault! She put some sort of miko spell on the arrow!"

"It's alright," Kagome waved. "Let me tell you the story my Jiichan told me about the youkai of Inuyasha's Shrine. Once, long ago, there was a great youkai who sought to gain more power. He found his desires in the Shikon no Tama, a horrible creation which offered infinite power to youkai and men of cruel nature. Fortunately, the Shikon was put in the safekeeping of a powerful priestess, who protected the jewel from those who came with ill intent. One day, the youkai came for the jewel. He destroyed the shrine built for it's protection and fought the priestess who guarded it. After a long hard battle, she managed to pin him to Goshimboku with a sacred arrow. Mortally wounded, she died soon after, and with her dying words asked that the jewel be burned with her remains. Hence, the Shikon no Tama followed it's guardian to the afterlife and a new shrine was built to shelter the youkai who caused her death. I think her grave is still somewhere on the grounds."

Inuyasha gapped. Kagome cocked her head at his lost expression.

"You… you mean… I killed Kikyou? That's impossible!"

"According to the legend, she died of wounds from your battle."

"I would hardly call that a battle," the boy snorted. "Yeah, I attacked the village and messed up the shrine pretty good, but I didn't even see Kikyou 'til she shot me with that damned arrow."

Kagome shrugged, "either way, she died afterwards and the jewel you were after was burned in her pyre. It happened over five hundred years ago so I suggest you get over it."

"Five HUNDRED years?!"

"Yep, the legend says that too. You're stuck in the future, pal, so you better suck it up."

"Five hundred years," Inuyasha repeated in a dejected whisper.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples. It was the middle of the night and she had to get up for school. She was too tired to deal with this.

"Look, I'm sure this is a big shock to you, but my grandfather is going out to the mini-shrine tomorrow and I don't really want him finding a dead body after all the trouble I went to hiding it from him. Just… try to hide yourself if Mama or Jiichan come in the room."

"Why? I smelled some more of you weird humans over there a while ago," Inuyasha stated, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Goshimboku.

"Oh, no!"

Kagome jumped up, ran as quietly as possible down the stairs, and burst outside. Inuyasha saw a petite, female figure streak across the shrine courtyard from the window and, grumbling, leapt gracefully to the ground below.

When Kagome reached Inuyasha's Shrine, the building looked desolate. She stepped up to the creeping shadows along the doorway. The inside seemed strangely devoid without the familiar form of Inuyasha pinned to the trunk, but what caught her attention was the hulking mutant corpse, or lack thereof. The sanded wooden deck had been washed of tell-tale blood. Relief that her job had been taken care of, especially since she didn't really know how to get rid of a body, was soon replaced by worry. Who did this? Had her attack been planned? Kouga's last words replayed in her mind.

"Screw this! Naraku can do his own damn dirty work!"

Who was Naraku?

"Oi! Woman, they're gone," Inuyasha strolled past her and surveyed the battleground. "Heh, pretty quick clean-up job."

"Y… Yeah," Kagome muttered. "I need to get up early. I'm going to bed."

"Feh! Humans," the youkai spat.

Kagome ignored the insult and headed back to the house.

"What're those?"

Kagome turned; ready to snap at the demanding boy. He was standing with an almost innocent expression, pointing at the city lights. She couldn't find it in her heart to sass him at that moment.

"Those are electric lights. They're pretty common place. We have some in the house but I didn't want to wake anyone by turning them on."

Inuyasha lowered his finger. The warm night breeze blew his silvery locks.

"This future is filled with too much weird stuff," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Come back up to my room," Kagome smiled. "I can, you know, show you the ropes. Teach you things. But I really need some z's about now."

"Huh?"

"Um… sleep. I need to remember you don't know expressions from this time."

This little episode strengthened Inuyasha's resolve.

"Fine, wench, just until I get to know things. Then I'm outta here!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kagome yawned.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

The room was sterile. A plush red carpet covered the floor, off-white plaster walls reached up to the high-beam wooden ceiling. The eastern wall was composed completely of glass, encased in rose-stained oak squares and opening onto a minuet patio. The western wall was blank, aside from a door of the same rose-stained oak and a sanded pinewood desk. A small Metallica poster was tacked haphazardly above the desk, the only character in an otherwise barren room.

A young boy of sixteen or so, lay eagle spread on a bed in the center of the room. The bed was as elegantly simple as the room, adorned in white sheets and a forest green comforter. The boy sighed, American rock music blaring through his headphones.

Bang!

The door flung open to reveal a very angry young man. He was tall, greasy black hair pulled back in a braid that hung past his waist. He wore traditional Chinese clothing and stomped over to the young boy.

"You ran away?! You fucking ran AWAY?!"

The boy sat up and removed one of the buds from his ear. He didn't appear imitated in the slightest.

"What else was I suppose to do, idiot?!"

"Kill the bastard! Or die with honor! You just ran away and LEFT HIM TO DIE!"

"Hiten, you moron! He was dead by the time I made a break for it! I tried to duke it out, but the guy was too strong!"

"Then kill him!"

"He wasn't a human! He was one of us, Hiten! I'm not going to kill one of our own kind!"

"Why not?! He didn't have a problem killing my brother! Humans are not the only enemy. I will have my revenge, and mark my words, Kouga, you will not go unscathed."

Hiten stormed out of the room. Kouga flopped back on the bed, the tips of his high, black ponytail tickling the back of his neck. A red headband stretched across his forehead and accented pure blue eyes.

He looked around the room. Comfortable and luxurious came to mind. But there were no family pictures, no smiling faces of friends hanging on the wall. His only mark on the plaster walls was a little Metallica poster. Nothing else.

Deep down inside, he thought, was this the acceptance he longed for?

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

TBC…


	5. An Interesting History Lesson Part 1

A/N: Revised on 2/20/08. Also I discuss aspects of Japanese history here. More detailed info and explanations at the end of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing expect the plot idea and the haiku at the end.

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Chapter 4: An Interesting History Lesson (Part 1)

By Kenkaya

Kagome peered over her shoulder in what she believed to be a casual manner. She turned the corner, looked both ways, and darted into the bookstore.

Bells chimed in their clumsy metal cages as the glass door shut behind her. She ducked between the tall, metal bookshelves, the smell of carpet and new paper clogging her nostrils. She scanned the glossy vertebrae, searching for the right title and cursing her luck that her year happened to be studying World History. Oh, well, she was lucky enough (depending on the viewpoint) that last nights little romp was too much of a strain on Jiichan, leaving the house conveniently empty for her plan.

"Ah ha!" Kagome plucked a forest green volume off the shelf with "Japanese History, The Land of the Rising Sun," emblazoned in white characters across the cover. Beneath the lettering was an old Japanese painting of some random politician. Patting herself on the back for a job well done, she rushed to purchase the book.

As her sneakers slapped the sidewalk, she hummed a random tune. Voices reached her ear and she barely had time to notice they sounded familiar before Sango and Miroku rounded the corner.

"Oh, crap," Kagome whispered. She spun around and felt the familiar tingle as her body mass slipped between the atoms of a solid brick wall. Deep red and darkness swept across her vision before she reached open air again and let in a deep breath. She glanced around at the piles of random junk around her, realizing she had phased into an outdoor storage space.

"Damnit! I know he didn't mean it, but still," Sango cursed.

"Sango-chan," Miroku interjected. "Kohaku's just a kid. He didn't know what he was doing."

"I know, but I get enough crap from them already. If only he didn't spill… especially with Mariko-basan in the room. Oh!"

"What is it?"

"Mariko-basan is a nurse at the hospital. Poor Kagome…"

And on that note, their voices faded beyond Kagome's hearing. The curious girl had to restrain herself from running after the couple. What did Kohaku slip to their aunt? How did it involve her? Kagome had a sudden foreboding feeling.

She sighed and set her mind on more pressing matters, like what she was about to do. She phased back through the wall and continued home with new resolve. A gentle breeze blew, stirred by memories of that morning.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

The rays of early morning sun shone softly through the eastern window. Kagome stirred in her light pink sheets, blinking sleep drearily from her lids. She seemed to remember something important she had to do today, but she couldn't imagine for the life of her what could possibly be more important than a few more hours of sleep.

Then she noticed two white, pointed dog ears at the head of her bed. Realization of last night's events hit her head on like a loaded pick-up truck. Her Jiichan was going to have a fit when he saw Inuyasha was gone.

The ears twitched unexpectedly and the youkai awoke in his sitting position just as the door knob to her room turned slowly. Kagome cursed herself for not having the foresight to lock it. The black mop and childish eyes of Souta popped out stealthily from the crack, already fully dressed. His eyes immediately found Inuyasha and widened in excitement.

"Neechan!" the boy squealed as he ran up to the silver haired youkai. "Wow! He's so COOL! Is he a mutant too? I thought Mama said you can't have boys' sleepover," an idea struck him at that statement. "Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome's got a boyfriend!" he chanted in a singsong voice.

"Souta! Shut UP!" the irate girl hissed as a flung pillow intercepted her brother's mouth. "Do you want Mama or _Jiichan_ hearing you?!"

Souta clammed up. He may have been young, but he was observant enough to realize his Jiichan was sick and that shock wasn't good for the old man. Instead, he opted to stick out his tongue.

"Good," the stressed teenager sighed, pulling herself reluctantly out of bed. Inuyasha blinked.

"What was the runt talking about?"

"Huh?" Kagome's eyes widened in understanding, followed by a light blush. "Oh the not having boys sleepover and you being my boyfriend bit?" she mumbled.

Put into that context, Inuyasha finally grasped the meaning. He 'fehed' and turned to face Souta, adoration shining in his innocent brown eyes.

"Anyway," Kagome began, "I need to go help Jiichan and get to school. Souta, can you hide Inuyasha in your room while I get ready?"

"Why do I have to hide, anyway?" Inuyasha spat.

"Because I said so!" Kagome snapped in frustration. "Not to mention my family would freak. Souta doesn't count."

"Hey!" the childish voice piped.

"You better not tell Mama either!"

"Jeez, what do you think I am, Kagome? Stupid?" Souta drawled, complete with rolling eyes. Kagome grabbed her remaining pillow and whacked her brother. "Hey! I just came to tell you Mama said Jiichan wasn't feeling so good this morning so she had to drive him to the hospital! You have to walk me to school!"

"Fine! Just go!"

The boy stuck out his tongue again and darted to the door.

"Come on, Inu-no-niichan. I think neechan is PMSing or something," and he whipped his head through the door. Inuyasha took one look at Kagome's livid face and sprinted after him.

"SOUTA! You better hope I don't find out where you learned THAT!" Kagome screeched through the door. Shaking her head at the little boy's antics, she glanced at the alarm clock she forgot to set last night.

Souta snickered and Inuyasha followed him, padding stealthily across the hall. When they reached the safe haven of the boy's room, Souta slammed the door shut.

"OH, MY GOD! IT'S SOOOO LATE!"

Souta fell on the floor laughing while the youkai blinked inquisitively and flattened his pointed ears against the sound.

"Oi, runt."

"Yeah?"

"What's 'PMSing'?"

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

The shrine steps loomed in her view. Kagome inhaled and began her long trudge upwards. She passed under the crimson arc at the top, marking the end of her ascent. Fishing through her bag, she pulled out a spare house key and the lock clicked open.

When she entered the doorway to her room, Kagome found Inuyasha sitting Indian style on her bed, hands tucked in his sleeve and head bowed in a slightly wistful manner.

"Wow!" Kagome exclaimed. "I wasn't sure if I should expect the house to be half in ruins, but you behaved yourself," then, glancing at his dog ears, she stifled a giggle. She couldn't resist. "Good boy!"

"What?!" Inuyasha snapped out of his revere and finally took in her words. Kagome was clutching her sides and wheezing in an attempt not to laugh out loud. The youkai narrowed his eyes. He had been taunted enough about his dog-like appearance in his youth to know what that meant!

"Damn wench! Can't think of something more creative than that?!" and that said, he turned away from her, moping. Kagome immediately stopped. She sat on the bed and inched her face closer to his.

"I… didn't hurt your feelings? Did I?"

"Feh!"

The young girl bowed her head, "I'm sorry. I was just teasing, I didn't mean it. Sango teases me and Miroku sometimes, but we don't mind too much because we know she doesn't mean it. There's no spite in her words. I'm sorry."

Inuyasha lifted amber eyes to her somber face, "there a lot of you?"

"Eh?"

"People like you and your brother," the youkai shrugged. Kagome's eyes widened.

"What do you mean like me… and my brother?"

"Well," he scratched behind one ear thoughtfully. "When the old man disturbed us last night, he smelled human enough. You and those bastards that attacked me smell human but it's kinda different. The brat smelled the same but the other smell next to the human one ain't as strong as it is on you or them."

"Oh, God… mutant abilities manifest at the onset of puberty. Souta, if he had them, wouldn't know until then. Are you sure?"

"Did you hear a goddamn thing I just said, woman?! My nose ain't wrong," Inuyasha growled, pointing at the organ on his face in irritation.

"Then," Kagome paused. "Whatever you do, don't tell Souta. He's just a kid, he doesn't understand, and he gets enough trouble because of me as it is."

"Yeah, fine. You didn't answer my question, wench!"

"Okay… before I answer anymore questions, we need to get one thing straight. My name is not bitch, wench, or woman. It's Kagome. Ka. Go. Me. Think you can handle three syllables, all-mighty-powerful youkai?"

"Feh!"

"For your own good, I'll assume that's a yes," Kagome reached over to her bag and pulled out the book she purchased earlier. "Now, for your question, nobody's sure just how many mutants there really are. I'd say there's a decent amount of us, but normal humans still out number us by a lot. According to what I hear in the news, more and more are appearing. I try not to pay too much attention to that though, since they blow the bad side out of proportion. Crime, mutant terrorists, there's supposedly a big violent activist in America that controls metal. People are just too quick to judge all the rest of us based on them."

Inuyasha nodded in understanding and glanced at the thick, forest green volume now on Kagome's lap. He watched her briefly pull open the flimsy cover and flip through page after page of writing. He followed the movement with rapt fascination. Such a large written manuscript must be a treasure to the Shrine!

"What's that for?"

Kagome followed his line of vision to the book in her lap and giggled.

"Oh, this?" she lifted the open book up, cover facing Inuyasha for emphasize. "It's a book on Japanese history. I figured… if you're going to live in this time now, you should know what happened between the time you were sealed and the time you woke up. I went to go buy it this morning after I dropped Souta off because my class doesn't study this subject until next year."

Inuyasha blinked in confusion, "So you study these weird written scrolls at your school?" Inuyasha stared out the window at the sun, still low in the morning sky. "That was fast."

Kagome cough nervously, "um… actually… I'm sort of ditching school today."

"Huh?"

"Skipping out, not going today. I mean, this is your first day free and all… I just didn't think you should be alone in the house all day. Besides, this is a good chance for me to take up on that teaching offer I gave you," she nodded resolutely.

Inuyasha cocked his head, "so you don't have to go to this school if you don't want to? Why did you act like you were going, then?!"

"No, I do," Kagome sighed. "So does Souta. I needed to put up an act so I didn't get in trouble. I'll need to forge a sick note for tomorrow otherwise I'll get caught."

Inuyasha shrugged and peered at the large text with growing anticipation.

"So," he began, "all… that happened while I was sealed?"

"No," Kagome shook her head, loose raven locks falling across her shoulders. "This is an overview of Japanese history in general," she peeked to see him relax as she bypassed a good chuck of the beginning. "Now, if I remember correctly, when Jiichan still gave tours of the place, he said the Shrine dated back to the Sengoku Jidai. Since the Shrine was built because of you, I think it's pretty logical to guess that you come from the same time period. Now, what do you remember of the world before you got shot in the chest? Was the Ashikaga family still in the seat of the Shogun?"

"Do I look like I follow politics?!" the silver-haired youkai practically spat.

"True," Kagome rubbed her chin. "People weren't that well informed back then. Do you even know how to read?"

"Wha… I… that's none of your business!"

"Guess not. Education wasn't as prominent either."

"Fine! Yes, I can read! Some…"

"Oh! Can you read this?" Kagome literally smashed the binding of the open book against his sensitive nose. The overwhelming scent of new paper and dry ink almost made him cough before he backed up. Her slender finger tapped against a section separated by a name marked in bold. Above the writing was a painting depicting some sort of battle; a black pony-tailed individual usurped the center, curved sword raised in triumph. He squinted at the name, trying to decipher the precise strokes. He spotted the familiar hiragana shapes beside the kanji and began to recite somewhat slowly.

"Oda Nobunaga; a damiyo of Taira descent. The Taira family was well known in the Heian jidai for their numerous succession battles with the Minamoto family for the Shogunate. Nobunaga sought to unify Japan. A ferocious military strategist, in 1568," Inuyasha peered at Kagome as he read the numbers, his gaze asking for an explanation to their meaning. The girl merely nodded encouragingly and he continued his slightly sloppy recitation, "he seized the capital city of Kyoto. Within five years, he drove out the Ashikaga shoguns. Nobunaga spent the next nine years of his life unifying central Japan with some success. However, in 1582, his dream was ended before he could realize it. He never desired the title of Shogun; instead he wished to assassinate the emperor and take the mantle himself. This idea was too radical for its time, as many still considered the emperor to be of divine descent. He was assassinated at Honjoji temple by Akechi Mitsuhide, one of his own generals."

Kagome pulled the book away and skimmed the paragraph with disbelief.

"I… but… but if you could read… WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO?!"

Inuyasha winced at the decibel of her voice, "I can read kana alright," and here the youkai shrugged his shoulders and drooped his ears slightly as if revealing information he rather not. "I just can't read the other stuff too good."

"Oh, you mean like kanji?" Kagome blinked. "That's understandable. I'm actually surprised you could read at all. Who taught you?"

"Feh! Hiragana is woman's writing! And why should I tell you anything, wen…"

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE NAME CALLING?!"

"Feh!"

"I'd show a little more respect than that if I were you," she waved the book like a victory banner. "Your future depends on it."

"Like I need some weak human!"

"Oh, fine then," Kagome violently slid the textbook across the bed. "Figure it out yourself, smartass."

"Fine! I will then!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Kagome huffed and made a beeline for her desk. She yanked her backpack off the ground and slammed it on the wooden surface. The teenager pulled out books and paper, figuring that if she was forced to ditch school for no real reason, she could at least study. Not to mention she still had to finish the math homework that was due today. What better way to vent her anger against an infuriating boy, who was currently lying across her bed book in hand? She glanced at him across her shoulder. He lay on his side, legs crossed and head propped up on an elbow. His lips mouthed each syllable silently as he scanned the page.

"Oi."

Kagome looked up from her paper, annoyed.

"What?"

"What do all these numbers mean?" Inuyasha gestured vaguely at the page.

Kagome leaned over to see the book and promptly fell out of her chair.

"Ow!" Kagome groaned as she rubbed her sore rear. A snort was heard in the background and Kagome glared at Inuyasha from the floor. The boy was chuckling; a good-natured gleam briefly flickered in his eyes. "Oh, you think that's funny do you?"

"Heh! Of course! I never saw a clumsier human in my life! Forgot to stand up… hehe…"

"Oh, reeeeeeeally," Kagome purred in a dangerous tone. While her supernatural companion laughed, Kagome grabbed the pink sheet tucked neatly around her mattress and jerked. Hard. The surprised youkai didn't have time to react before he tumbled down with the bedclothes. Unfortunately, both contents landed right on top of Kagome. Said girl moaned in defeat as Inuyasha desperately fought to untangle himself from the mess.

"Murphy's Law can be a real bitch sometimes."

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked inquisitively at the prostrate girl below him. Kagome battled to control a blush as she realized their noses were mere inches apart. His long silver hair pillowed around her, mingling with her own black.

"Nevermind," she mumbled embarrassed. "Just get off me."

"What the Hell does it look like I'm trying to do?!"

Inuyasha finally managed to free himself after much wriggling and resulting discomfort on Kagome's part. He climbed back on the bed and grabbed the book from the floor, staring at Kagome expectedly. The girl sighed and clamored up, taking the book and turning to the page where she left him.

"Okay, what seems to be the problem?"

"They keep repeating numbers like that," he pointed to the date of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's (Nobunaga's successor) death. "What do they mean?"

"Oh, well… looks like I'm going to have to explain the dating system to you. I keep forgetting this kind of stuff."

"What stuff?" Inuyasha inquired, with a look that plainly said he was expecting her to make him look like an idiot again.

"Oh, it's not your fault or anything. I forgot that we didn't use the Western dating system back then. Heck, I don't even think Christianity was introduced yet."

"Kurisutan… what?"

"Guess not. It's the main religion in the Western world. In our case, it was Europeans who brought it over. It focuses on one main God that created the entire universe and controls everything from what I learned in World History. He sent his only son down to earth as a human named Jesus and his son died a brutal death to absolve all human sins so that everyone had a chance to enter Heaven. It was outlawed here for a long time and a lot of the believers were persecuted back then. We have freedom of religion, so they can worship in peace now. I don't know too many more specifics since we haven't studied it in much detail yet."

Inuyasha merely nodded his head and leaned over slightly as Kagome pulled out yet another blank sheet of paper from her bag. It took forever for him to grasp the advancement of years and the concept of twelve months with inconsistent days. Explaining February was a nightmare; she wasn't even going to touch leap years. After listing the days of the week and yelling at him in frustration to figure the rest out if he was so smart, she returned to her desk and the unfinished homework resting on it.

Blood boiled as her pen moved across lined paper, trailing idling past the left margin. Scritch, scratch. Kagome had always considered herself a patient girl, but this boy just knew how to push all her buttons. She couldn't remember the last time she was so irritated. Her brother was the only other person who could come close to doing that, but at least the brat had known her more than one day. What was it about this youkai that worked her up like that?

Kagome suddenly noticed she had stopped writing. Examining the page, she blushed lightly and let out a very loud, "What the Hell was I writing?!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha jumped at the sudden outburst. "You sure something's not wrong with you? Your face is all red."

"Uh… no, everything's fine! It's nothing," Kagome giggled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly and stuffing the paper none too discreetly in her bag. She certainly wasn't going to give that page to the teacher. The youkai narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Whatever," he grumbled stiffly when she didn't respond and turned his attention back to the history text. Kagome's shoulders slumped in relief and she began fishing around for fresh paper, determined to actually focus on her math this time. As pointless equations swept across her vision, the three lines she'd penned absently still burned persistently in her mind.

_Glowing amber red_

_Tempt me with passion and anger_

_Why are his eyes sad?_

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The doorbell rang, reverberating through the walls, surprising Kagome in the comfortable silence that had followed their last spat. Inuyasha cursed and laid his ears flat against his skull.

"Why is everything in this time so _damn_ loud?!"

Kagome ignored him and rushed downstairs, wondering who could possibly be at the door at twelve noon. She tiptoed quietly to the door and leveled her eye to the peephole. Her mouth dropped and she flung the door open in surprise.

"Sango-chan!"

Sango stood on the open porch, face crestfallen. Her long black hair, usually held up in a ponytail, fell loose down her back, almost reaching waist-length. She wore combat boots with a black, leather mini-skirt, her usual worn, oversized denim jacket completing the look. The only make-up she wore was liberally applied red eye shadow to accent her maroon eyes. Kagome marveled at how the outfit perfectly flaunted Sango's femininity while betraying her tomboyish tendencies.

"I'm… I'm sorry," the human girl stammered, obviously struggling to control her voice. "I had some… family problems last night and… well, I thought I could handle school, but it was just too hard. I saw you weren't there today in math class, and… here," Sango held out a clipped bundle of papers. "I know it's your worse subject."

"Thanks," Kagome took the small stack and eyed her friend warily. "What happened?"

"Just tension. I skipped out when lunch started."

"Does Miroku know?"

"Kind of, he doesn't know I ditched. I… just really need to be alone right now," Sango sighed wearily and ran a hand habitually through her hair. "I'm just so sick and tired of their hypocritical bullshit."

Kagome nodded in acceptance when no further elaboration was offered. Inside, her mind raged. Couldn't Sango's family realize they were tearing the girl apart with their petty prejudices?

"I understand. I'm here for you when you're ready, Sango-chan."

"Appreciate it," the girl smiled half-heartedly and turned away, walking to suffer her grief alone.

Kagome watched her friend's departing figure before gently clicking the door shut. She looked up to see Inuyasha crouching at the top of the stairs, his defiant gaze demanding an explanation.

"That was my friend, Sango," Kagome began hesitantly, unsure how to reveal her friend's personal situation. She quickly found herself just blurting out the whole story. "She's in love with Miroku, another mutant like me, but because of her associations with us a lot of people shun her…. her family is especially hard on her. The only one who still defends her in that house is her little brother. I think her mother has gotten past it somewhat, but she hasn't truly accepted it," the mutant girl sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around her middle "I feel real sorry for Sango-chan, she isn't like us. She had a choice."

Kagome looked up after her semi-guilty confession to see Inuyasha staring out into space, pupils slightly glazed over.

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"Mother!"

"Inuyasha! Where did you run off to?! Don't scare me like that again!"

"Sorry… Mother, that lady selling rice back there said I was the son of a whore. Are you a whore, Mother?"

"Inuyasha… I never want to hear you say that word again."

"So you're not?"

"Inuyasha, I loved your father with all I had. I could never give something that precious away so cheaply. That woman used that word because she can't understand the logic of love. I never want you to call another woman that, as long as I live and after. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, come on, Inuyasha. We should go back inside. It's getting late."

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"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha blinked and focused his eyes on the young girl standing in front of him. She sat balanced on the balls of her feet, elbows propped up on her knees. He stared at the unusual position for a moment before shaking his head slightly to clear it. Her unlady-like manners didn't surprise him as much as they did before. In a strange way, he found it a little refreshing.

"What?"

"What were you thinking? I was talking about Sango and you just zoned out."

"It was nothing," Inuyasha snapped, grasping the meaning of the unfamiliar phrase from her tone. "My thoughts are mine," and he rose from the floor, trekking down the hall back toward her room. Kagome sighed and followed, the last line of her improvised haiku echoing through her skull.

Why are his eyes so sad?

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TBC…

A/N: On language references… kana is the collective term for hiragana and katakana, the two of the three writing systems used in Japan. Kanji (the third one) is based on borrowed Chinese characters and is mostly used nowadays for names and political documents. In the past, only men were allowed to learn kanji. Court women developed hiragana (which is phonetic) from kanji characters and it is now the main system used to spell Japanese words. In most public media, kanji characters are accompanied by miniature hiragana characters on the side to help with pronunciation since kanji can represent either their Japanese or Chinese sounds (especially when it comes to names.) Katakana, like hiragana, is also phonetic and primary used for spelling foreign words.

Christianity was introduced to Japan by Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century. Nobunaga himself was baptized in hopes of gaining favor with foreign trade. It was outlawed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 17th century, and his son led a campaign after he died to rid Japan of the foreign god, resulting in a huge battle at Shimabara in 1637. Today, Japan's constitution ensures freedom of religion.

The Heian jidai lasted from 794-1192. The Sengoku jidai (when _Inuyasha_ takes place) was roughly from 1467-1603. Though, based on several historical references and hints given by Takahashi herself, fans estimate that Kagome travels back to the mid 16th century (meaning Kikyou would have pinned Inuyasha to the tree sometime around 1500.)

Also, the Minamoto family won the feud I mention.


	6. A Brief Interlude

A/N: Revised on 3/19/08. This chapter ended up being mostly filler/character development, but I felt some of the supporting cast needed a little more attention before I threw them to the wolves (yes, I know… bad pun. I couldn't resist, blame Kouga.)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha or the X-Men universe.

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Chapter 5: A Brief Interlude and Pointless Foreshadowing

By Kenkaya

"Crap, crap, CRAP!"

Kagome ran down the stairs in twos, grabbing her sneakers in front of the door and pulling them on as she rushed across the porch. This, of course, made for some very interesting bodily positions. Inuyasha jumped effortlessly down the same stairs in a single bound and blinked at the panicked girl.

"Oi, what're you doing?"

Kagome whirled around and fell flat on her rear. She sent a death glare to Inuyasha as his shoulders shook slightly with suppressed laughter.

"Why didn't you tell me it was three already?! Idiot! I'm going to be late! Hell, I _am_ late!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha scratched his head below one pointed ear. "Stupid wench, still babbling nonsense."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

"You heard me."

"Whatever, _stay_ here. Don't break anything. Don't touch anything you don't recognize…"

"In other words, everything."

"Yeah, anyway, don't go outside. It's still daylight and we might get some tourists. If my mom or grandfather comes home, hide in my room. There, I think that about covers everything."

"You forgot sit, roll over, and beg," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Shut up! I'm going to pick up my brother from school now. I'll be right back, bye!"

"Oi! You expect me to just hang around here?! I told you, I'm only here to learn stuff. Once I'm done I'm outta here!"

"So go upstairs and read your history book like a good boy," Kagome snapped. "And I told you. I'll. Be. Right. Back!"

"Damn, I should've just killed her last night," Inuyasha hissed as he stomped back into the house. Kagome ignored the disgruntled youkai and proceeded to sprint down the shrine steps with speed that could put Olympic medalists to shame.

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"What took you _so long_?!" Souta groaned, exasperated. Kagome slid to a halt on the pavement in front of him with a precision born of repeated practice. She immediately bent over to catch her breath. Souta merely rolled his eyes as he leaned against the metal fencepost surrounding the playground. This was going to be good.

"Sorry," Kagome managed to gasp between breaths.

"You were ditching with Inu-no-niichan, weren't you?"

"What?! Where did you get a crazy idea like that?" Kagome waved off the question casually as she began to forcibly push her brother in the direction of home.

"You don't have your backpack, you answered my question too quickly which almost always means your lying, you came running from the direction of home instead of your school, I kinda guessed this morning that you were gonna do it anyway," the boy looked up from his counting finger with false innocence. "Did I leave anything out?"

"Tell mom and die."

"What's in it for me?"

"Brat!"

"I guess Mama's just gonna have a fit. You and Inu-no-niichan weren't making out or doing any of that nasty stuff were you? Eww! I guess I'll have to be honest and tell Mama that too."

"I hate you."

Souta grinned and spotted his price. He pointed to a small ice cream shop, "double scoop rainbow sherbet."

"Are you _kidding_?! You won't finish your dinner and you'll be up half the night! No way!"

"Five hundred yen says Mama breaks a window yelling at you."

"One scoop."

"Deal!"

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Kouga laid back, hands tucked casually behind his head. To his left, a couple new recruits kicked a soccer ball lazily across the small field scrunched between dorm houses. He sighed, green grass tickling through the back of his thin black t-shirt and American rock music blasting through budded earphones.

Kouga wasn't quite sure why he was attracted to this particular country's music. Perhaps it was his mother's blood; he remembered how she use to sing along to the stereo in the kitchen, cutting vegetables to the rhythms of Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplen, Aerosmith, and the occasional Led Zeppelin song. She had been an outrageous woman: a beautiful foreigner with fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes. He often wondered what she saw in a conservative Japanese businessman like his father. Apparently not enough, the divorce happened when he was too young to remember. His early childhood consisted of life with a half-crazed mother he adored and sparse visits from a father he didn't understand nor care to. To his chagrin, his mother often complimented him for his looks.

_"Oh, Kouga 'sweetie' you look just like your father! So handsome!"_

The young mutant snorted. He hated his father and wanted no connection with him, physical or emotional. At least he had his mother's eyes.

_-Where do bad folks go when they die?_

_They don't go to Heaven where the angels fly_

_Go to a lake of fire and fry_

_Won't see 'em again 'til the Fourth of July-_

Kouga shut off the CD player and switched discs. Nirvana was just to depressing for the way his thoughts were headed. No wonder Cobain shot himself in the head. Hard electric guitar assaulted his ears and distinct vocals accompanied the new music.

_-Hey_

_I'm your life_

_I'm the one who takes you there_

_Hey_

_I'm your life_

_I'm the one who cares_

_They_

_They betray_

_I'm your only true friend now_

_They _

_They'll betray_

_I'm forever there-_

The words came effortlessly as he sang in a decent baritone voice. He wouldn't win a Grammy anytime soon, but listening to him sing was definitely not classified as torture. The recruits spared him a questioning look before shrugging back to their own activity. Kouga smiled. The music reflected his feelings so painfully clear in a language these kids could probably only pick words out of, if even that. A rebellious shiver raced through him. He felt like he was reciting a personal diary entry right under their noses without the slightest notice. The urge to laugh grew stronger.

_-I'm your dream, make you real_

_I'm your eyes when you must steal_

_I'm your pain when you can't feel_

_Sad but true_

_I'm your dream, mind astray_

_I'm your eyes while you're away_

_I'm your pain while you repay_

_You know it's sad but true-_

His father said he laughed like his mother, as if a hyena were hiccupping in his throat. The statement had been thrown as an insult but Kouga had taken it to heart. Any traits reminiscent of his mother were considered a blessing. He fingered one of the only two photos he had left of her. One lay safe, folded between his socks; the other traveled from pocket to pocket. He pulled out the wallet-size picture from his torn jeans. The ends were frayed and the color faded, but his mother's face shone through, wild red hair pinned back with a green headband. She wore a white tank top with 'But I Think The Real Reason Was That Heart Was Two Sizes Too Small' hand-painted in deep green block letters across the front. He remembered when she used to read him that book at bedtime. Every Christmas she would pop in the video and cuddle with him on the couch. Even now, Christmas just didn't feel quite like Christmas without watching 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' at least once. That was another thing they shared, a love of Dr. Seuss.

"What would you think of me now, Ma?"

In his memory she laughed. The stereo was on, as it always seemed to be. She was dancing in the kitchen, the paring knife she had been using on the vegetables still in her hand as she swung her arm diagonally from her hip in a stereotypical disco move. Her voice was high and clear.

_-You say you want a revolution_

_Well you know_

_We all want to change the world_

_You tell me that it's evolution_

_Well you know_

_We all want to change the world_

_But when you talk about destruction_

_Don't you know that you can count me out-_

Kouga smiled. God, he missed her. He remembered when he was twelve, sitting by a sterile white hospital bed. The thin, sickly woman wrapped in those sheets hardly resembled the vibrant mother who sang 'Revolution' in their small kitchen. Her skin was a pale shade of pasty cream and seemed to barely cling to her petite bone structure. The red hair, so much a part of who she was, had fallen out long ago. Still, she managed to give her son a pain filled smile, a smile that tried to deny him the agonizing truth; this was cancer, there was no turning back.

"Kouga?"

He opened his eyes, banishing the haunting memories. Kagura stood above him. Her black hair was absent of the usual side bun, hanging loose past her shoulder blades. He nodded and she lowered herself to sit on a patch of grass beside him. Kouga stared at the blue sky and Kagura at the ground. No words were spoken. They didn't need any.

In the distance, a soccer ball exploded.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, man! I didn't mean it! Sorry!"

"You blew the ball up!"

"It was an accident! I swear!"

Kagura turned to watch the commotion, her red eyes strangely distant. Kouga pulled out one of the buds to free his ear. She beat him to the punch line.

"I'm such a coward. A Goddamn coward."

"Where the Hell did you get that bullshit from?" Kouga snorted.

"I wish I was like them," the female mutant mused. "I use to be, and now I'm turning them into something I hate. I'm turning them into me because I don't have the guts to stand up for myself."

"But you fight," he countered back, like he always did. "Even in the beginning you fought. I didn't. I just let my stupid emotions push me into this shithole because I couldn't stick it out with my old man. I just walked right in without thinking."

"Dumbass."

"Don't remind me."

"But you walked in because of me," she argued. "I talked you into it."

"I wanted to be talked into it. Now stop beating yourself up before you force me to slap it into you. And trust me, I really don't want to hit a girl."

"You know I'd hit back twice as hard."

"No shit."

Kagura laughed softly before sending a pointed glare to the still quarreling youngsters. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a small crease appeared on her brow. Kouga's skin tingled as the air currents abruptly changed. The recruits looked up nervously at the build-up of dark clouds as a small twister touched down between them, effectively breaking up the fight. Dark swirls writhed, but not with enough force to cause any real damage. The kids jumped back and a few screams echoed across the field. Kouga couldn't help it: he burst out laughing.

"That's enough! Just go get another damn ball!" Kagura shouted.

Kouga hyper-ventilated on the ground as the recruits practically squeaked and ran off. Kagura visibly relaxed and the clouds dissipated. The tingling feeling left his skin as the air currents returned to normal. It always felt funny like that when someone messed with the atmosphere.

"Hey," Kouga called as the young woman rose slowly from her spot. "I was thinking of getting some ice cream. Wanna come?"

"Tempting, but I have _business_," she twisted the word in her mouth like a curse. "See ya."

Kouga waved at the only kindred spirit in his personal Hell before deciding ice cream wasn't such a bad idea. He replaced the bud in his ear and headed off.

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"One scoop of rainbow sherbet in a cup…"

"I wanna a cone!"

"And I don't want a mess. In a cup. And I'll have a scoop of strawberry in a cone."

"How come you get a cone."

"Because I'm older and I won't lick half of it on my face and the other half on my shirt. Plus I like cones."

"I guess I'll have to…"

"Hey! I'm getting you the ice cream, twerp!"

Souta grumbled as Kagome paid for their orders and handed him the small cup. The argument died on his lips as he grabbed a spoon and dug in. Bells, tied to the metal handle on the door, rang and tapped against glass as another customer walked in.

_-The story of a woman on the morning of a war_

_Remind me if you will exactly what we're fighting for_

_Throw me to the wolves_

_Because there's order in the pack_

_Throw me to the sky_

_Because I know I'm coming back-_

Kagome stared at the source of the unfamiliar lyrics. An attractive young man with long black hair tied in a high ponytail waltzed up to the counter and said in an abnormally loud voice (courtesy of the music blaring through his earphones), "scoop of chocolate an' cookies 'n cream!"

"Cup or cone?!" the employee shouted to be heard.

"Huh?! Uh… cone!"

Kagome screwed her eyes. That voice sounded familiar. If only she could put her finger on it…

"Do I know you?" Kagome spoke before she could stop herself.

"Huh?!" the boy glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and removed one of the ear bubs. "What did you say?" he asked at a lower decibel.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Kagome repeated, curiosity nagging her.

"I don't think so. I'd definitely remember a face as pretty as yours," the boy smiled and Kagome blushed at the unexpected compliment. Souta rolled his eyes. "The name's Kouga. What's yours?"

"Uh… Kagome."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

Kagome felt a sick sense of deja-vu. Houjou had used lines like these on her before and she had fallen: hook, line, and sinker. She wasn't a naïve little girl anymore. She licked the pink ball on her cone and ignored Kouga's obvious attempts to flirt.

"So… what are you listening to?" Kagome attempted friendly conversation since Kouga obviously wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"A band called 'Red Hot Chili Peppers.'"

"Never heard of them."

"Yeah? They're pretty big in America."

"Oh, I think my friend Miroku listens to an American band," _well, they sing in English, at least,_ she mentally added. "He said they were called something like 'Pink Roy.'"

"'Pink Floyd?'" he grinned as she affirmed his correction. "Yeah, they're good too but a little out there. I'm not really a big fan."

"Well, Miroku is definitely out there himself."

"Enough about this Miroku character… so, what type of music rocks your world?" Kouga leaned toward her in (what he believed to be) a suave manner.

"Jeez, you should just back off," Souta grumbled, sick of the game and no longer able to distract himself since he finished his cup. "Neechan's taken."

"What?" both teens chorused.

"Yeah, she was ditching with her boyfriend today and Inu-no-niichan is _a lot_ cooler than you anyway."

"S… Souta," Kagome stammered, her face a deep scarlet. "That's _so _not true!" The little boy snickered at his sister's evident embarrassment. Kouga was simply confused. It didn't add up; after the initial blush, the girl had remained uncharacteristically calm throughout his advances. Kouga had flirted with his fair share of cute ladies, and he had immediately written Kagome off as one of the romantically callous types who formed practical relationships and rarely got giddy over them. Yes, a fun challenge to crack in his game, but he really wasn't expecting to go anywhere. Her sudden behavior over this Inu-guy threw him for a loop. He was intrigued.

"Oh, come on, neechan, just admit you like him. I found you guys sleeping together in your room this morning."

"And guess where he was sleeping? THE FLOOR! You so took that out of context!"

"You like him. Kagome and Inu…"

"IF YOU SING THAT DAMN KISSING IN A TREE SONG I SWEAR I'LL PHASE YOU INTO THE WATER HEATER AT HOME! I'D NEVER HAVE FEELINGS FOR A STUPID, INSENSITIVE, STUBBORN, STUCK-UP, SARCASTIC JERK LIKE HIM!"

Souta winced at the mental imagery of solidifying in the water heater and shut up. Kouga blinked.

"Phase?"

Kagome turned slowly to face the young rocker, realizing at the moment exactly what she had said. Kouga arched an eyebrow at the girl's sudden apprehension. He just couldn't read this one. She reminded him a little of Kagura; when he was first recruited she had remained a complete mystery to him. Later, she grew to be one of his closest friends, perhaps his only real one.

"Um," Kagome stuttered. Kouga was nice, if a little forward. What would he do if he found out she was a mutant?

"Neechan?" Souta questioned. "What's wrong?"

_I don't want anything to do with a freak like you_, Houjou echoed in her mind. Kagome didn't want to deal with that right now. She was too tired.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, remembering he was still at the house and immediately jumped up. "I'm sorry. I forgot we left the family dog inside. We need to get going, see ya, Kouga-kun!"

"Yeah, same here," Kouga called back as he finished the last dredges of his ice cream. He watched her black hair bob as she ran, little brother in tow. Something about that figure eluded him.

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TBC…

A/N: In order of appearance, the songs were; 'Lake of Fire' by Nirvana, 'Sad But True' by Metallica, just in case (and this should be a BIG in case) 'Revolution' by The Beatles, and 'Easily' by Red Hot Chili Peppers.


	7. A Different Kind of Empathy

A/N: Yes, I LIVE! Well, I'm sure at least a few people are happy I updated (that's probably quite an understatement at this point) and more than a few are probably pissed I took so long. But between changing jobs twice, moving, going back to school after taking a year off, and being without steady internet over two years I like to think I have some valid reasons. This chapter's mostly fluff and relationship building, but it just seemed to flow that way and who am I to argue against inspiration? Next chapter shouldn't take nearly so long (don't quote me on that) and I've got some interesting drama planned for the next couple installments so never fear! Despite appearances, I have not abandoned my fanfiction. Enjoy.

I don't use much Japanese as a general rule (unless it's a term I could find in a fansub) but I got a few questions, so here's a list of some that have or may pop up---

-basan: aunt

Goshimboku: the God Tree at Kagome's shrine

Inu-no-niichan: dog brother (what Souta calls Inuyasha)

Jiichan: familiar term for grandfather

Miko: priestess

Neechan: familiar term for older sister

-san: basic honorific, roughly Mr. or Ms.

-sama: a more extreme honorific, usually translated as lord, lady, or master.

Shoji: those old Japanese sliding doors, usually made of wood and rice paper

Youkai: demon, supernatural being (you get the picture)

Disclaimer: Why, oh why do I need this for a website that's a disclaimer in itself?

Recap (Since it's been so damn long): 500 years ago, Kikyou sealed Inuyasha to Goshimboku, dying in the process and ordering the Shikon to be burned with her remains. Fast-forward to modern day, Kagome is a young teenager living at a shrine with her mother, younger brother, and prejudice grandfather while coping with her emerging mutant abilities. Another mutant named Kagura approaches her with a proposal: come live in a mutant safe-haven and work for the founder (a closet mutant and powerful business man named O.N. Gumo) in exchange. Kagome doesn't trust Kagura and refuses so she is given three days to decide. That night, Kagome is attacked by two masked men working under Naraku and runs into the mini-shrine around Goshimboku to escape. There, she accidentally awakens Inuyasha who saves her by killing the one called Manten and scaring the other (Kouga) off. Inuyasha then threatens Kagome (hating how she reminds him of Kikyou) before realizing he is in a future world that he has no idea how to survive in. The two strike a truce and now Kagome has taken on the task of preparing him to live in present day Tokyo.

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Chapter 6: A Different Kind of Empathy

By Kenkaya

"Kagura."

"Yes, sir?" the red-eyed woman glowered, spitting out the word 'sir' as if it were bane on her tongue.

"I want you to approach her with our offer again."

"I said I would give her three days. It's only been one," she scoffed. Kagura may have worked for him, but that didn't mean she had to pretend to like it. "I know you're one for taking risks, but sending out Kouga and Manten was risky enough as it was. We could loss the deal."

"Wait out the week."

"Oh? What happened to your "the sooner the better" philosophy?" Kagura sneered. Her employer's impatience was legendary and the cause of many punishments on her part in the past. The very idea that he would order her to wait left the ruby-eyed vixen feeling somewhat bitter. "Perhaps my SUPERIOR is losing his edge?"

"Need I remind you just WHY you work for me?"

The young mutant shivered and gulped very audibly. She had definitely crossed a line with that one.

"I thought so. Now, give her our offer again at the end of the week. She will not refuse."

Kagura bowed politely and spoke with stuttering syllables, "H--- hai, N--- Naraku---sa--- sama." A grating chuckle, one that chilled the listener to the bone, followed her as she hastily exited the room.

"Things are finally turning out as they were meant to be," a dark voice boomed into the desolate silence. "Isn't that right, Kikyou?"

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Inuyasha leaned cross-legged against the backboard of Kagome's bed, history text perched precariously on his lap. He mouthed the syllable of each character, stumbling over words stamped in black ink. After a long struggle, he emitted an irritated growl and slammed the book shut, pushing the article aside for a much needed break. He rubbed tired amber eyes with a frustrated groan.

"Just why the Hell did everybody try to be warlords anyway? Just got ya' killed by one of your generals in the end. Feh, stupid weak humans."

White dog ears twitched as the door opened downstairs.

"How could you flirt with that Kouga guy?! Inu-no-niichan is SO much cooler!" a juvenile voice echoed from downstairs.

"Shut up, Souta. I wasn't flirting with him," another tone, this time feminine, ground out. Two pairs of feet turned simultaneously and pounded up the staircase.

"Yeah, you were."

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Aren't you a little young to know about these things?" Kagome prompted as they entered her room. Souta rolled his eyes in response.

"Come on, neechan. I'm eight."

"Really? I had no idea puberty started that young nowadays. So, got a girlfriend yet?"

"Eww! Shut up! That's gross!"

"Make me," Kagome blew a raspberry and Souta pouted in classic little boy fashion.

"The Hell?" Inuyasha blinked, obviously confused by their banter. Unfortunately for him, the irate teenager picked up the less-than-polite comment and whirled around to face him with all her pent up fury.

"This is all your fault, you know!" she pointed at him dramatically, obviously teasing.

"Huh?" he scratched just below one ear, puzzled.

"See! He doesn't deny it!" she yelled accusingly, ignoring his clueless gesture.

"I don't know what the Hell you're talking about!"

"That's beside the point!" Inuyasha fell back on the bed at her outburst, exasperated. Women really were the most confusing creatures.

"Told you," Souta nodded sagely, ruining his sister's moment with classic little brother timing. "It's gotta be PMS."

"You little brat," Kagome hissed, reaching out to grab the mocking boy. Inuyasha simply closed his eyes in response, figuring it was in his best survival interests to steer clear of their little sibling spat. Gods knew he and Sesshoumaru exchanged worse. Much worse.

Neither party expected the cry of pain that followed her action.

"Oh my, God! Souta!"

"It's nothing! You just squeezed too hard!" the child protested, trying desperately to wriggle out of his sister's grasp. Kagome had a practiced firm grip on his wrist within seconds and pulled up the sleeve of his sweater. "Don't!" he yelped.

"Oh, Souta," Kagome breathed.

The boy continued to struggle as she took in the discolored patch of black and blue marring his upper arm. The bruise was dark not to mention quite large; covering his undeveloped bicep, snaking ominously up toward his shoulder joint. But that wasn't what horrified her. All along the length of his arm, varying blotches of yellow and purple, evidence of earlier beatings. Of repeated beatings.

"Pull up your pant legs," Kagome whispered, her tone somewhat detached.

"But neechan---"

"Do it!"

The boy gulped audibly and complied. The same marks, all over his legs; numerous. Both knees were scraped raw. Only now did his red palms make sense. Kagome thought back, when was the last time she had seen him without a sweater or his light school jacket? Wasn't it only last week Souta came home with a bloody nose, claiming to have been accidentally hit in a game with the soccer ball? It had been so easy to dismiss the few visible signs as results of rowdy play.

So easy; she felt sick just thinking about it.

"Neechan? It's no big deal. A couple of the guys just got a little rough with me. That's all."

Kagome looked at Souta with sad brown eyes. No words were exchanged. Inuyasha sat still on the bed, his presence all but forgotten. He watched as the elder sister fell forward, engulfing her brother in a fierce embrace. She held him tightly, as much for her own comfort as his. The scene was both touching and tragic, a combination all too real for Inuyasha. It took little imagination for him to see Souta with long white hair. And Kagome with doleful violet eyes.

"Neechan? I'm okay--- really."

Kagome didn't respond. She simply stood and faced the boy with a fake smile. Inuyasha could smell the faint trace of salt; she was holding back tears.

"Come on--- let's get those knees cleaned up."

The amber-eyed youth watched as they left the room and walked a little way down the hall. The sound of running water followed soon afterwards. Their situation--- it was almost exactly the same; even down to the words. He bowed his head low, shading golden irises with silver bangs. There wasn't anyone in the room to actually see the emotions running across his yellow orbs, but old habits die hard.

An estranged childhood taught Inuyasha one important lesson above all others; the only person you could trust was yourself. He trusted his mother once, watched as she held him and wept; grieving for the harsh future she knew he would face. In the end, she left him like everyone else; her untimely death the first of many betrayals. Not one to be caught in the cookie jar twice, he never completely relied on someone else again. Kikyou was no exception; though her treachery still bit deep. History even blamed him for her demise.

A barely noticeable sigh escaped the guarded youkai. He had feelings for Kikyou, Inuyasha would admit that much to himself, but he didn't know if he would have gone as far as to call it love. Not anymore. He was after the power of the Shikon no Tama; Kikyou was the woman protecting it. Things had stayed simple enough until the priestess had dared to look at him with those eyes full of loneliness; a feeling he knew all too well. She spoke to him and became the first woman to offer him some sort of empathy. At least since his mother passed away. That she was quite attractive only added another plus to the mix. But it was nothing more than that. She was cold and aloof; he distant and distrustful. When she offered him a way out of his alienation, he was too hopeful to see the deceit.

"When the jewel falls into the hands of a youkai, it becomes tainted with their greedy desires and lust for power. But, if used to turn you into a human, it will be purified--- and most likely vanish into thin air."

"And--- what will happen to you?"

"I am she who guards the jewel. If there is no jewel, I am nothing more than an ordinary woman."

In hindsight, Inuyasha realized how naïve he had been. Nevertheless, he found it hard to believe the woman was really dead. Five hundred years passed since she pinned him to that Gods-be-damned tree and everything around his perch had changed drastically with the passage of time.

Except him.

The brash youth snorted. Despite circumstances, he still felt somewhat frustrated over depending on someone other than himself. The principle went against every grain of his being. But, like it or not, he was little more than helpless in this world. Kagome's instruction was his only hope for survival.

"Why don't you go into your room and relax for a little bit," a soft voice floated through the ajar door. Inuyasha was pretty lacking when it came to emotions in general, but even he could hear the guilt dripping from those words.

"Thanks, neechan," Souta spoke softly before light footsteps padded across the hall.

"Don't mention it."

Kagome swung open the wooden panel and entered. Inuyasha still found it a bit odd that the door moved back and forth instead of side to side like a traditional shoji. Just another painful reminder of how truly lost he was in this day and age. She clicked the door shut with a tired sigh and leaned back against it, eyes downcast. Inuyasha rose from the bed, at a loss for anything else to do. She glanced up.

"Inuyasha," the teen whispered. The youkai stiffened when he noticed liquid pooling in the corners of her eyes. What she did next threw him for a loop. She slid to the ground, burrowed her face in her knees and cried.

Inuyasha stood there limply. He didn't know what to do. If it wasn't for the steady shaking of her shoulders, a few badly suppressed sniffles, and the heavy smell of salt, he wouldn't even know she was crying. But he knew her pain, the pain of knowing people you loved were hurting because of you. And there was nothing you could do about it.

Nothing.

For the briefest of moments, Inuyasha envisioned his mother in her multi-layered kimono; her face terrified as their home fell around them in flames. The vision ended just as abruptly as it came.

Kagome's sobs grew more pronounced, her whole body wracking with the force of her tears. An outburst of this extent was long overdue; the run-in with Houjou, the incident with Kagura, that terrifying attack last night, dealing with her grandfather's prejudice, Sango's dilemma, and now Souta's exposure--- everything was just piled on Kagome way too fast. So, her walls came crashing down and the bewildered teenager reacted the only way she could.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha came to a stunning realization. Since the beginning he had been alone. Not a single soul could understand that side of him; not his idealistic mother, even Kikyou was incapable of such a feat. Hers had been an isolation borne of idolization. The mighty priestess lived life on a pedestal among her human kin, youkai attacking constantly in hopes of dethroning her. While the woman related to him on an emotional level, anything else was beyond her comprehension. Kikyou never scavenged village waste dumps for scraps as a child. She hadn't the experience of a young orphan boy driven from his only home out of blind hatred, hiding deep in the woods, climbing to the highest branch he could find every sunset only to spend half the night wide awake anyway, alert for any sound that could possibly mean death. He didn't bother telling Kikyou the gruesome facts back then, knowing all he would get in return was her sympathy. Pity was the last thing he needed.

Two polar opposites, from separate ends of the spectrum, born to be pitted against one another. Their story played out predictably in the end.

Inuyasha peered down at the dark haired girl curled against the door. He immediately recognized her for what she was, an abomination. Family and a few empathizers were all she had and even that came with a price. The girl, Sango, was practically a stranger in her own home because she cared about a mutant. Kagome's brother, Souta, suffered alienation everyday for his sister's sake. Centuries ago, young Kaede never returned home to Kikyou with welts because her sister was a powerful priestess. The villagers had adored them, sheltered them.

As Kagome continued to bawl into folded arms, Inuyasha saw himself. What he could have been; had his mother survived to protect him, had his brother come to love instead of loath him, had someone out there cared enough to act as a shield to his loneliness. An instant connection formed deep in Inuyasha's mind. Still, he couldn't bring himself to respond to her; to at least offer a small, reassuring touch. So, he comforted her cries the only other way he knew how.

"Oi, stop crying."

The girl hiccupped, a bitter attempt at a laugh. She sniffed a few more times and her body ceased to shake. Inuyasha, having gained courage at this sign, approached her cautiously and knelt down so he was at eye-level. With a shuddering breath Kagome lifted her blotchy face. Red rimmed her watery brown orbs.

"You d--- didn't expect something th--- that lame to work--- did y--- you?"

"You stopped crying," Inuyasha shrugged. Kagome shook her head with a small smile that looked stretched on her tear-stained face.

"Just 'cause I could--- n't believe you said something s--- so dense."

"Feh! It served its purpose. Did'ja want me to just stand here and do nothing?"

"Sorry," Kagome mumbled, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "I wasn't expecting anything I just--- needed that. Thanks."

"At least you stopped," Inuyasha snipped. An uncomfortable silence followed soon afterwards. Not having the slightest clue what to say under these circumstances, the dog-eared boy "fehed" quietly and rose to sit back on the bed. Kagome watched his progress silently, uncertain how to respond.

"Thanks," she professed again, somewhat awkwardly. The poor girl really couldn't think of another way to break the tension. "You didn't need to do that, you know. I would have cried it all out eventually."

"Course I did it. I hate it when women cry."

"Really?" Kagome cocked her head quizzically. Tentatively, she moved to settle herself down on the bed next to Inuyasha.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" he snapped when her piercing gaze refused to waver. "It's none of your damn business!"

"I see," she whispered, averting her eyes.

"Oi! You aren't gonna start bawling again are you?!" Inuyasha panicked at the girl's downtrodden air.

"No," Kagome answered, lifting her head with a slight grimace. "I'm done with that."

"Good," he sighed in relief. After yet another long silence, Inuyasha began to eye the history book again, his amber gaze scathing. Kagome caught the expression and, after a brief moment of comprehension, began to giggle.

"What's so funny, wench?!"

"You don't like reading that book, do you?" she chuckled, ignoring his crass comment. The modern girl was beginning to think she'd never be able to break him of the name-calling habit.

"That's not it," the youkai growled. "It's just," he thought for a moment, "boring."

Kagome burst out laughing at that, "Of course it is! It's a textbook! What were you expecting? Some all-action, high-profile fighting manga?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha didn't even bother voicing his question this time.

"I'll show you later, Souta has tons of them," she waved her hand dismissively. "So, are you having any other problems--- well, aside from the boring one," a snort escaped as she suppressed another laugh.

"Uh, kinda," he grumbled. Inuyasha finally decided if he was going to learn anything, he had to let some of his precious pride go. "I don't understand everything and I get confused and forget stuff. Then the rest is so boring I forget that too!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a typical junior high boy," Kagome teased, her voice full of mirth. "Textbooks are just like that, I have the same problem sometimes too. Everybody does."

"Yeah?" Inuyasha felt relieved. At least he wasn't alone in this field of ignorance.

"Oh, sure! Sango--- the girl who was here earlier, she's really into science--- uh, I'll explain that later too, and she reads stuff like this outside school sometimes. But she still has to take notes on the stuff she wants to remember--- AND she's interested in the subject! They just bombard you with so much information at once you can't help it."

"What'd you do about it?" the hesitant youkai asked.

"Well, for starters, you have to take a break every once in a while. Trying to read it all at once will drive you crazy."

"I'm doing that!" Inuyasha fumed.

"I wasn't finished," she scolded. "We also have alternate ways of learning that are more entertaining; like movies--- hey! That's it!" Kagome clapped her hands and bounced excitedly on the mattress.

"What?" Inuyasha inquired cautiously.

"My dad was really into old samurai films," Kagome began to explain at a rapid rate. "I think Mama still keeps them downstairs. You can watch those! It's a lot better than trying to read that all day," she gestured toward the book.

"Oh," Inuyasha deadpanned. Damned if he knew what a film was, after all.

"Well," she clasped her hands eagerly and rose from the bed. "Let's get started. Follow me."

The two traveled downstairs and into a room Inuyasha had never seen before. Granted, he had pretty much been confined to Kagome's room, Souta's, and the upstairs hall all day; even so, the dazed time-hopper still found himself adjusting to the strange sights of his limited exploration. That aside, he had to admit this was by far the weirdest room he'd entered yet.

Large, padded chairs and raised couches immediately clued Inuyasha in on one purpose for this odd room; a place of gathering, but the rest eluded him. The open space was large, roomy, and cram filled with what he could only imagine had some use beyond that of pointless junk. A high table of polished wood stood in the center on four legs, quite different from the low slabs surrounded by pillows Inuyasha had seen in some of the finer houses way back when. Scattered around were smaller, raised platforms, some supporting potted plants while others sported framed pictures. The wary youkai noticed offhand that a few seemed to be extremely realistic portraits of who he guessed to be a younger Kagome and Souta. Moving on, amber eyes scanned the walls. Shelves; filled with books, piled with papers, cluttered with various objects the white-haired boy couldn't possibly put a purpose to. Only the wall adjacent to him remained mostly untouched and even that wasn't without decoration. A few paintings hung on the wall, the locust, a tall set of shelves, thinner than the others. This apparatus immediately caught Inuyasha's attention. Instead of books and papers, it was dominated by foreign black, angular objects made of metal and glass.

"Here we go," Kagome made a beeline straight for the focus of Inuyasha's attention. He watched apprehensively as she flipped through shiny cases that somewhat resembled books. At intervals, she pulled a few off the shelf and into a makeshift pile on her right. Inuyasha, having absolutely no idea what the girl was doing, shuffled his feet anxiously as he tended to do in situations where he didn't know how to react. Both were so occupied with their separate tasks, neither noticed when the front door opened.

"Kagome! Souta! I'm home!"

Youkai and mutant alike stiffened. Kagome whipped her head around to face Inuyasha, begging with desperate eyes for him to hide somewhere. Frantic amber orbs darted from corner to corner in instant response, but (unfortunately) Inuyasha found himself in a habitat more foreign than years of harsh survival and quick thinking under stress could have ever prepared him for. He barely managed to jump behind the long couch, which would have kept him out of view from the doorway, when a startled gasp sounded from behind.

"Oh, my!"

Inuyasha turned to meet gazes with a wide-eyed, middle-aged woman in mid-leap. He regretted the movement almost immediately as he crashed in an unbalanced heap on the floor, knocking the side of his head painfully against the coffee table. Kagome squeaked and rushed to his side; moving to support his shoulder in a vain (but well-intended) attempt to push the flustered youkai on the sofa. Inuyasha stood his ground through sheer determination and, cradling his throbbing head, glanced upward to get his first good look at the woman he deemed responsible for that embarrassing fall.

She appeared drastically different at first, until a closer look brought out the similarities suggesting family. Trim navy skirt, cut off at the knees, and a button-up lavender blouse gave her a decidedly more feminine touch. Her dark hair hung in waves, or would have, had the strands not been cropped at the nape of her neck. Inuyasha found this particular style strange, especially since he had never heard of a woman daring to do such a thing outside of shame or grief. In his limited experience, human men and women alike tended to be extremely vain about their hair. Even his mother's long black tresses had been well past knee-length. His gaze shifted and locked with deep, glistening brown pools. Inuyasha immediately knew where Kagome had gotten her eyes.

Speaking of which, Kagome had slowly been making her way forward as the youkai boy examined her mother. With a nervous chuckle, she rubbed the back of her neck habitually.

"Uh--- Mama--- I can explain?"

-----------

The evening sky grew dim.

Sango sat slumped against her favorite tree, watching vacantly as strokes of orange and pink streaked across the pastel clouds. One by one, two by two; the city lights erupted in a flush of color, a deep indigo blue bleeding through the heavens. Stars sparkled to life overhead, gaining in number as darkness descended, reflecting their electric counterparts below.

All this she observed from her place atop the world; a small hill in a modest park. The spot was isolated and out of sight, surrounded as it was by heavy brush. Her legs still stung, exposed skin criss-crossed with ocher-red from her journey, but it was a small price to pay in order to achieve solitude. No one would bother her here.

Sango sighed, letting the day's depression run its course. Tears had long since run dry, leaving her nothing but a few misplaced sniffles and a salty tang on her tongue for comfort. How ironic, she thought bitterly, that a rebellious tomboy who once prided herself on strength should find relief in sorrow.

Late hour went unheeded as the young woman lost herself to haunting visions. Over and over, harsh words played in her head like a broken tape recorder--- and the final stinging slap this morning.

"You're no daughter of mine."

A familiar welling started in her chest again, consuming her entire body until it quaked with the emotion. Numbness followed soon afterwards; a blessed lack of feeling that washed away the pain; leaving its victim seemingly fresh as a newborn babe.

And just as empty.

It was a vicious cycle; one Sango was more than well-acquainted with. Oh, she didn't regret her decisions by any means. Miroku was extremely dear to her and Kagome had become more sister than friend over the years. Thick or thin, they were always there for the worst, cheering her on with an honest concern and genuine empathy that was all too hard to find these days.

For that alone, she braved their hatred.

Callous memories assaulted her in the cool evening air, leaving exposed fingers as frozen as her heart. The maroon-eyed girl shivered. Heading home really wasn't an option at the moment. Her father's dreaded last words assured that.

"You're no daughter of mine."

It just wouldn't leave her alone! Sango wanted to cry in frustration. Cruel words were no stranger from her father's mouth; the two fought constantly, especially since Miroku entered the picture. Still, that sentence shook the teenager deeply. And why shouldn't it? The statement practically disowned her, after all.

A sudden pang of despair hit Sango before thinning out, leaving her to once again revel in the emptiness that followed.

Why should she care if her family kicked her out anyway?

Their tree could hardly be called a close one; Sango found herself hard pressed to remember a time when heads didn't clash under their roof. She and her father battled relentlessly, days would pass without a word between mother and daughter, even then, only the most minimal exchanges. Mariko-basan offered no comfort, the woman berated her endlessly. Kohaku alone cared--- and he suffered for it. There truly was no mercy for the merciful.

Another sigh echoed off the slope, filled with guilt and self-contempt. Sweet, gentle Kohaku; the timid boy who always greeted her with a smile, even if they both knew the gesture for a lie. She stamped the dirt sullenly, crushing tiny insignificant pebbles beneath booted toe. Why, she thought in a brief flash of selflessness, couldn't her brother be just like the rest of them? Living a happy, normal childhood; going to soccer games with their father, promising mother good grades--- anything but the cold reality, sitting upstairs in his room hunched over half-finished homework, heated words filtering through the floor. Even so, Sango had to admit, she needed him there. Kohaku was the only reason to go back. She hated herself deeply for clinging to that instance of frailty.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

She wasn't stupid; Sango knew the feeling she craved was a lie. She had always been a reactionary person, whether through her fascination of effect and consequence or her childhood obsession with martial arts. And, like any good scientist, Sango knew the rubber band holding her emotions in check would eventually snap at the rate she kept stretching. Pressure was building--- but, the long-haired girl though wistfully, what was the harm of giving in for just a little longer?

She really had no where else to turn. Kohaku was at home and any support she might have received from that source would only later be tainted with shame. Miroku was out of the question. He would just get angry, blame himself, and sulk helpless to do anything. Kagome would have lent ready ear and shoulder without hesitation, but the poor girl suffered enough without adding to the burden. Sango was not deaf to the badly suppressed whispers swapped between students in the hall; of course, they whispered about her too, but a little bad gossip on her part seemed like nothing compared to their torment at the moment.

The distraught teenager sighed and shifted to lie down in the grass. Darkness blanketed the sky, mirroring the mood of the person stretched out beneath its vast canopy. High up on her grassy knoll, above the city lights, all cares ceased to exist. But such bliss was never meant to last. With a deep sigh of resignation, Sango composed herself for the dreaded trek homewards.

"I thought I might find you here."

"Miroku," Sango turned her head, meeting his deep violet-blue pools with her own maroon. She found it slightly unnerving that her boyfriend's approach had gone unheard, considering all the twigs that would have snapped as he waddled through the bush. That she could so easily be distracted was a disgrace to her former training.

"Miss me?" the mutant boy quipped with a false smile. Sango watched passively as he settled himself on the ground beside her, nervously brushing non-existent dirt off baggy, black jeans. He wasn't half bad when it came to looks, Sango thought with some admiration. Sure, he wore a purple button shirt (left open to display the form-fitting white tank beneath) and black eyeliner to accent the unusual color of his eyes; but, as she examined him in the pregnant silence, she couldn't help but appreciate him. He was a rebel in more ways than one, her gaze shifting between the silver ring in his ear and the fingerless glove on his right hand. He turned unexpectedly, pegging the unsuspecting girl with a solemn look that very clearly told her she wasn't backing out this time. "You can talk to me, you know."

"I know, I just needed some alone time. No big deal."

"Which one of us do you think you're kidding?" he snorted. She didn't answer.

A second passed, followed by a minute, and another, until the minutes started piling on top of each other. The hour grew later and no matter how much one wished, time stopped for no one.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Sango?" Miroku whispered, shaking his head in exasperation. "You always do this. You said you trusted me. Remember?"

"This isn't about trust," Sango responded, eyes glazed. "I don't doubt you on that."

"Then what's this all about? Why did you leave today?"

"Why are you asking me all this?" she adverted her gaze to the stars. "And saying something like that--- what made you think I didn't trust you?"

"Because you don't tell me anything, Sango. What else am I suppose to think?"

"You sound tired," the girl sat up, eye to eye with him.

"Just worried, and don't change the subject," Miroku scolded. "I know you're still upset about this morning and things are--- a little difficult right now for both of us. But you can't just keep it bottled up inside like this. I want you to know I'm here for you, no matter what."

"I know that."

"Then why do you keep shutting me out?"

Sango could tell Miroku was upset. He was usually stoic and calm, but she could easily pick out the strain in his voice. Easily catch the veiled look in his eyes. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid from the start! Open palms slammed the ground in frustration, startling the concerned young man beside her and triggering floodgates kept carefully shut until now.

"Damn it! This wasn't supposed to happen!" she choked on a sob. "This isn't fair!"

Miroku got over his shock at her sudden outburst fast in the wake of the emotional onslaught that followed. Immediately, the violet-eyed boy gathered Sango in his arms. He held her tight, ready for a good cry, but when no tears came he realized regretfully that she must have already spent them. He rocked her back and forth anyway, knowing despite appearances she could use the consolation.

"This isn't fair!" she repeated the mantra, curling against his chest for support, dry sobs shaking petite, leather-clad shoulders. Miroku hesitated only a moment before lifting his gloved hand (accursed hand, he thought bitterly) and guiltily rubbing small circles along the curve of her back. He was torn. Oh, he knew Sango loved him, just as he knew that love caused her great agony, but his own feelings were a strange mixture of self-loathing and pride. That she came to him for solace only added a sense of responsibility.

He squeezed her lithe body with all his might, like a baby bird cradled between the gentle jaws of a lion. Vividly, he recalled the last time they were in this position. To think, if his fiery vixen hadn't seen right through the break-up strategy she might not be in so much pain. But how could he resist her while she was pressing warm kisses all over his face? Miroku suppressed a forlorn sigh. He really was a weak fool.

"I'm so sorry, Sango," the boy whispered sadly. "I really am."

"No!" she shouted vehemently. He was startled but didn't react, allowing her to continue. "I knew you'd say that! I knew it!"

"Is that why you hid from me?" Miroku questioned, a sense of relief washed over him.

"I just needed some time to get my shit together, Miroku. You should understand that more than anyone!"

"But you were always there," Miroku argued. "You didn't let me suffer alone and yet you expect me to just turn around and not give you the same courtesy. I love you to much to pull that, Sango. I couldn't ignore your problems anymore than you could mine."

"Why?"

"Dear God, woman! How many times do I have to say 'I love you' before it registers in that overused brain of yours?" he gasped in a dramatic voice, complete with hand over his heart. The girl beside him giggled.

"Thanks," Sango smiled and tilted her chin to meet his lips. The kiss was short and chaste, but enough to satisfy both their needs at the moment. With a breathless sigh, she leaned back into her boyfriend's embrace. "Can I stay at your place tonight?"

"Won't your parents worry?"

"If it's only 'cause they're afraid I'm having hot rabbit sex with a mutant, I could care less."

"Do you see me complaining?" Miroku leered with a telling grin. She slapped his exposed chest with the back of her hand.

"Pervert."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Don't make me hurt you," Sango smirked.

"Very well, my lady," he rose and brushed off his pants. "Shall we?"

She took his offered hand and, together, they began the prickly trek downhill. About halfway, Miroku hoisted a protesting Sango in his arms and ran down the slope, howling like a hungry wolf. A slight blush lit up her face before she burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Suddenly everything in the world seemed alright.

They loved each other. Nobody could take that away.

----------

A/N: Well, you got some fluff for both our main couples so hopefully that will tide you over for a bit until after the holidays (I do work retail) or I get off my lazy ass and update again. Whichever comes first.


	8. An Interesting History Lesson Part 2

A/N: A review expressing confusion over Inuyasha's laughter at the end made me realize just how rushed the ending was, so I've edited it a bit to explain his reaction better. Sorry to anybody who got prematurely excited and thought this was a new chap, but don't worry! The next chapter is definitely in the works!

Original A/N: First off, I would like to thank my two main fans Javal and Lirael1 for giving me the power to finish this on time. My goal was to have this chapter out by today (exactly one month from the last time I updated) and everything seemed like it was going on schedule. Then, I did something stupid last night and watched "Nukie." If you've seen that God-forsaken thing not even Satan would be cruel enough to call a movie, not only do I pity you, but I know you would understand the mind-numbing (almost painful) feeling that made me not want to write or do anything stimulating for that matter. But, I preserved for you, the readers, and wrote anyway (after watching several AMV's to try and regain my sanity.) So, thank you for your support. I also now post my update information for all my fanworks on livejournal, which I've set as my homepage, so if you're ever wondering why the Hell I'm not updating again, feel free to check it out. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope, still a poor college student.

SPOILER WARNING: I mention the plotlines of two movies in here: "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart In The Land Of Demons" and "Barefoot Gen" (I know a live-action was made of this, but now its hard to find and I didn't feel like tracking down the anime so I referenced the manga for Gen's lines) if you watch Japanese movies and don't want to be spoiled, you have been warned!

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Chapter 7: An Interesting History Lesson (Part 2)

By Kenkaya

"I see--- so that old, rotten mummy was actually alive this whole time. And to think I thought your grandfather was just being superstitious all these years."

Higurashi-san sat at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of green tea delicately. Across from her, Kagome had settled comfortably in a dining room chair; Inuyasha not far behind, casually leaning against the doorway and not looking at all pleased about being referred to as an "old, rotten mummy."

"Yeah, it was a shock to me too," Kagome nodded. She had just finished the tale of Inuyasha's awakening, minus a few major details. After all, why worry her mother over the attack last night? She didn't exactly feel it would be smart to relay Inuyasha's attempt on her life either.

"So--- after accidentally waking this Inuyasha up, (followed by another scowl from the doorway) you decided to help him adjust to modern times?" the older woman repeated. Kagome nodded an affirmative. "Well, that's a lot to catch up on--- you've quite a task ahead of you. I assume you were going through your Dad's old videos?" Another affirmation. "Well, the history is important so he can see just how we got here--- but don't forget to concentrate on today too. He has to learn how to get around in this time."

"I know--- I just don't want to overwhelm him, Mama."

"I AM in the same room, you know."

"Thanks for informing me," Kagome responded dryly. Inuyasha simply 'fehed' back. Higurashi-san smiled knowingly at their display, leaving both teens more than a little confused.

"Well," the amused woman rose. "Why don't you two prepare the guest room while you come up with a plan. I don't mind Inuyasha staying here, but I'd really feel more comfortable if he didn't sleep in your room."

"Sure," Kagome dismissed the worry, writing it off as nothing more than motherly instincts.

"I suppose you didn't attend school today either," she added in a stern voice, followed by a guilty look from her daughter. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you--- but I really wish you would have let me in on your plans."

Kagome remained decidedly silent. How did mothers get so good at the 'I'm-very-disappointed-in-you' look anyway?

"I'll write you a sick note this time, but I want you to go back to school after tomorrow. No ifs, ands, or buts. You have your own future to think about, after all."

"T--- tomorrow?" the teen gasped, never daring to expect such generosity. "Oh, Mama--- thank you soooo much!" Kagome practically leapt out of her chair as she ran to give the woman a bone-crushing hug. "Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!"

"There's no need for that, dear," Higurashi chuckled at her daughter's antics, patting one of the skinny arms encircled around her neck. "I understand why you did what you did. In fact, I think its very kind of you to help Inuyasha-kun like this."

"Kun?!" a gruff voice sputtered from behind the touching scene. The two completely ignored him and he gave no further complaint. Huffing silently, Inuyasha seriously wondered if he should just leave the room. He already felt like a stranger encroaching on this odd, little family and the overt display of affection in front of him hardly helped. A potent wave of jealousy suddenly hit him right then, causing the youth to turn his head away in shame. Kagome may be like him, considered a scourge to humanity, but she received support from a close family unit. Support he barely had. The urge to leave pulsed stronger through intense embarrassment. Inuyasha suppressed a self-defeated sigh; he really was no better than the ignorant humans who ostracized him in childhood. What right did he have to feel envious of this silly girl's fortune?

"Well, Inuyasha-kun," Higurashi sighed, catching the distracted youkai's attention. "What do you say we set up a room for you? Kagome can help you get settled while I start dinner--- and I expect both of you at the table when it's ready. If there's one thing I abide by, it's that we eat dinner as a family. Then maybe afterwards we can pop in one of the old movies to get him started--- what do you say, Kagome?"

"Sounds great," the girl answered. She spun around and flashed Inuyasha a huge grin. "Let's head upstairs, then."

"Un," Inuyasha agreed automatically as the ecstatic teenager passed him. He followed her, but paused slightly when the elder's voice floated to him from the open kitchen.

"Well, this certainly is exciting! I'll have to do some extra grocery shopping tomorrow and--- oh! We'll have to look into getting him some more suitable clothes as well. My, my--- I wonder how we're going to break this to Jiichan."

Pointed ears twitched maddeningly as the youkai boy moved forward, continuing his ascent up the stairway. He was never going to get this family.

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

"Kagome! Souta! Inuyasha! Dinner!"

Both adolescents looked up quickly from their conversation on the bed, the girl glancing back at her white-haired companion soon after. He met her stare, quirking a curious brow as she grinned sheepishly. Caught in the act.

"W--- well--- you heard Mama. Food!"

"Yeah," Inuyasha snorted the obvious, watching intently as she leapt up to hide her previous awkwardness. Kagome practically dashed out of the room. He rose in the wake of her flurried footsteps, preparing to follow at a more steady gait. Their earlier discussion still weighed his mind.

Kagome had led him out of the kitchen to the door across from her own. The room inside was nice enough, he supposed, though a bit 'elegant' for his taste. A large double bed monopolized the center, royal blue comforter folded pristinely on top, square print of oil-painted lotus flowers framed above. Gracing opposite sides of the bed were a dark oak-stained nightstand and matching dresser. Aside from strange contraptions set strategically atop the wooden surfaces, Inuyasha found the space surprisingly empty.

His guide wasted no time: she rushed into the room with pointed finger ready, immediately rattling off names of devices, their respective functions, and how to work them. The dog-eared boy was pretty sure he could grasp the concept of a lamp, but when she started on the alarm clock radio he gave it up as a lost cause.

"And here's the snooze button--- you'll want to remember that--- its one of the most important functions. See, when the alarm goes off you just hit snooze and it stops--- but it'll go off again in about nine minutes, just in case you decide to---" Kagome paused when peripheral vision caught her audience moving to sit on the bedspread. He perched cross-legged at the edge, burning amber eyes slightly glazed over. She exhaled loudly and set herself down to join him.

"Am I boring you, Inuyasha?" the girl asked a bit tentatively. The youkai in question jerked faintly at the sound of his name.

"Huh? Oh, yeah--- a little," he mumbled, ducking behind snowy bangs to avoid her hurt expression. "It's just--- just kinda---"

"Over your head?" she supplied helpfully.

"Now that makes me sound like an idiot."

"You know I don't think of you like that," she sighed, wondering how she managed to argue so much with someone she'd technically only known a day and a half. "You've just been ripped from your old life and dropped five hundred years into the future. It's only natural. If I suddenly found myself in your time, I wouldn't know what to do either."

"Really? Aren't those what your history books are for?" he scoffed sarcastically.

"Yeah, but they're just facts--- it's not the same as actually living like them," she tucked her feet up to hug her knees. "You see all these machines you find weird? Well, to me, they're normal. I've never lived a day in my life without electricity or running water. I don't get up naturally with the sun because I've always had an alarm cloak to make sure I do. My skin crawls if I don't take a warm bath everyday. I've never hunted or gathered my own food because corporate farms and grocery stores have made sure I don't have to. If I was spirited back to before these things existed, I wouldn't know how to survive at all. I'd feel--- helpless."

Inuyasha simply nodded, understanding the feeling completely.

"So what was it like?" Kagome inquired softly. "Your life, I mean. Where did you live?"

"The forest," he answered bluntly, guard raised. She continued to grill him: did he hunt for his food, where did he sleep, what did he do at night when it got cold; the list went on. Inuyasha gave curt responses along with a fair share of "none of your business" and "butt out's." He may not have minded the girl (and he certainly sympathized with her), but he had learned the hard way not to trust so easily.

Still, he mused while following the energetic figure to the dining room, their talk had been pleasant. Kagome showed genuine interest in the details of his life. Oh, Kikyou seemed curious as well, but the priestess hadn't been nearly so bold. Besides, the mutant girl's aversion to certain topics hadn't gone unnoticed; she steered clear of questions about family, friends, and relationships in general. As if she knew her bounds. Sadly, Inuyasha thought, they might have become friends had he met her a few years younger. Experience now denied him this luxury.

"Yeah! Food!" a small blur whooped as it dashed in front of Kagome.

"Souta, you pest! I could have tripped and broken my neck!"

"Oooo, neechan's sure dramatic today. Why don't you just walk through me then," Souta grinned. He had changed into a teal turtleneck sweater, all traces of former angst gone. The youkai couldn't help but admire the boy's resilience.

"Dramatic?!" came the shrill screech. "Well if you don't care much for drama, let's see how you feel about kung fu!"

"Kagome! Souta! Stop fighting and come to the table!" their mother's command broke the choke hold Kagome had on her brother's neck.

"Consider yourself lucky, runt," she warned as Souta fell to the ground in an exaggerated motion. "And by the way, your acting sucks."

"Does not!"

"Kids!"

"Hai, Mama," they chorused. Together, the strange trio made their way to the dining room.

Dinner appeared a simple affair, with the standard bowl of miso soup and rice. A tray of pickled vegetables, alongside a steaming platter of fish, graced center table.

Inuyasha felt an unusual sense of familiarity revolve around the traditional meal. He had eaten only once that day, in early afternoon when he finally set aside pride long enough to inform Kagome he was hungry. The girl had disappeared and returned soon after with a cup of what she called "instant ramen." While he'd greatly enjoyed the hot noodles, relief filled him at the sight of food he recognized. Kneeling at the old-style, low table as a group, reciting "ikadakimasu," Inuyasha thought for the first time since waking in this century that perhaps home wasn't so far away after all.

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"Souta, put the controller down, Inuyasha's not playing that with you."

"But I wanna kick his butt in Street Fighter," said boy whined. The youkai in question merely looked on with disinterest, having stopped trying to comprehend the sibling's conversation long ago.

"Souta sweetie, perhaps you should wait until Inuyasha-kun's gotten use to the T.V. before you play any video games with him," Higurashi interrupted the chaos with her voice of reason.

"I guess," the eight year-old pouted while his sister gave a triumphant victory sign. "Can we at least watch one of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' movies?"

"Sure, that's fine," Kagome hummed as she flipped casually through plastic casings.

"But sweetheart, that takes place in Edo era, doesn't it?" the older woman interjected. Though she never cared much for the genre, her husband's passion had been a tad contagious, leaving his wife with interspersed knowledge on the subject.

"It's fine. I was reading about that today in the book," Inuyasha finally added his two cents, effectively putting an end to the debate. He zoned out once again as Kagome asked Souta which title he preferred.

After dinner, the whole family had gathered in the living room to further Inuyasha's education. He sat on the floor in front of the coffee table (despite Higurashi-san's protests) staring at the mutant girl as she pulled aside the movie she'd been seeking. Behind him, mother and son occupied a cream colored couch, the latter rearranging pillows rather noisily.

"How does 'Baby Cart in The Land of Demons' sound?" Kagome threw over her shoulder.

"Sure. Exaggerated swordfights, a personal vendetta, and inner family strife--- what about that movie isn't cool?" Souta exclaimed with an air of self-induced importance.

"Bet you read that somewhere off the internet," his sister mumbled. The boy merely stuck his tongue at her.

"Alright, children," Higurashi sighed. "That's enough. Let's just pop the movie in and get started."

"Okay, but before we start," Kagome rounded on Inuyasha. He blinked at their sudden close proximity. "When I press the little button at the bottom, picture and sound are going to appear on the screen of that box right there," she pointed at the object for emphasize. "Now remember, it's not real. Think of a play, then imagine someone recorded those images and sent the information to this device so even people who aren't present can watch and enjoy the act."

"Yeah--- sure," the golden-eyed boy shrugged, not having the slightest clue what she was talking about.

"So you promise not to destroy the television when I turn it on?"

"What?! Do I look like some kind of mindless animal to you?! Of course not!" he fumed. The girl gave a sigh of relief, her warm breath brushing across his cheeks, and finally backed away. Against his will, a barely noticeable pink tinged those same cheeks.

"Well," she deliberated. "Here goes nothing," a tentative hand reached for the innocent black button.

Inuyasha barely had time to register the illuminated picture when a wave of massive decibels nearly knocked him flat on his back.

"HE'S GONE UP THE FIRE ESCAPE!"

"FIRE!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Immediately, Inuyasha flung himself behind the sofa, digging his claws into the backrest as if using it for a shield. Kagome slammed her index finger down on mute, face twisted in an expression of horror. Higurashi simply grimaced as her son gripped his sides in uncontrollable laughter.

"Souta honey, you know I don't like you watching T.V. with the sound on maximum. The least you could do is turn the volume down after you do it without my knowledge."

"S--- sure--- Mama," Souta gasped, still rolling with glee at the unexpected reaction. Inuyasha briefly wondered if the two women would mind very much if he killed the boy right there. From the murderous look Kagome was giving her brother, he knew at least one wouldn't.

"Sou--- ta," the teenager ground out between clenched teeth. "You. Little. Twit."

"Now, now--- arguing will get us no where. What's done is done," Higurashi sighed at her bickering children. "And Inuyasha-kun? I understand you were a bit frightened--- but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't leave too many claw marks in my upholstery."

The youkai broke off a low growl and unclenched his tightened fists, leaving behind ten neat little holes in the fabric. Ever wary, he didn't budge an inch from his spot; though that didn't prevent him from delivering a not-so-intelligent comment at what he deemed great offense.

"Feh! I wasn't scared--- just--- surprised."

"Of course," the woman responded absently, shooting a well-placed glare in her hot-headed daughter's direction. The girl (amazingly enough) took her mother's hint. Spinning away with a huff, she removed the object of her wrath from sight. The boy continued to cackle through Higurashi's demands to stop, hardly helping the atmosphere.

Kagome released several deep breaths (despite the incessant noise) to calm herself. Finally clear minded, she slapped a hand over her face at the irony of the whole situation. Souta just had to conveniently leave the volume up from his incriminating act. And she just happened to turn on the television during a shootout: smack in the middle of an action-packed police drama. Murphy's Law really REALLY bites, she mentally concluded.

Eventually (after several long tirades and less-than-polite exchanges between a certain two adolescents), the family managed to coax Inuyasha out from behind his furniture barricade. He crouched low, a baritone rumble issued from his throat at the now silent images flashing across curved fiberglass.

"Oh, for Godssake," Kagome groaned. "The characters aren't going to jump out and kill you, Inuyasha. Besides, it isn't real, anyway. Those are just actors on a set."

"They're actors?" a single furry ear twitched as part of her earlier explanation finally dawned on him. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?!"

"How am I suppose to know what you'll get and what you won't?!" she shot back, clearly frustrated.

"Please," Higurashi placated, dismissing the chronic sense of déjà vu that gripped her. "Can't we just watch the movie in peace?"

"Sorry, Mama," the girl lowered her brown eyes slightly at the reprimand. She turned before another pointless argument could take root and slid the video into its respective port. The volume was adjusted to a more reasonable level as opening credits began to roll.

The 16th century boy remained cautious of the disembodied stage, but soon found himself scooting closer as the story unfolded. He'd caught glimpses of traveling actors on the road before, and from what he'd seen, nothing they did could possibly compare to--- this. The backgrounds were much more than cleverly painted boards; the characters' expressions had a realistic subtlety only made practical by the camera close-up. This was a magic beyond his comprehension. Inuyasha sat enthralled by the moving pictures. Still, when the swordfights came on, he couldn't help but shatter the quiet.

"They expect us to believe he cut a man in half with a swing like that! No human has the strength to pull that off!"

"Yes, Inuyasha--- that would be because he isn't really cutting anyone in half," Kagome responded for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Feh! And that stroke's way too wild! He'd fall flat on his ass if he tried that in a real fight."

"Good thing this isn't a real fight," the mutant girl deadpanned, realizing that the youkai wasn't paying any attention to her whatsoever. Behind them, Souta giggled.

"Those guards are horrible swordsmen! No self-respecting damiyo would hire them--- they're getting killed so easy!"

"Do you think you can stop commenting on the obviously fake chorography and just enjoy the movie like the rest on us?" Kagome finally snapped. Inuyasha 'fehed' stubbornly before shutting his mouth to watch the rest in silence.

Overall, Inuyasha did appreciate the film. He could follow the story easily enough; the idea of a damiyo naming his bastard child heir and other powers within the clan hiring an assassin to "fix" the hierarchy wasn't too far outside his realm. Plus the action sequences (ridiculous as they were to a real fighter) certainly beat the Hell out of that damn book. He almost flinched at the end when Lone Wolf mercilessly killed mother then child, but held steady at the memory of his earlier embarrassment. That one, he thought shaking off the discerning feeling, had hit a little too close to home.

The family retired soon afterwards: each individual heading to their own room, though Inuyasha could still hear them moving around. He stepped away from the closed door, glaring daggers at the infamous green book that had mysteriously appeared on his bedspread. Kicking the offending item over the other side, he gave a satisfied grunt as a distinct thud reverberated from the floor. He could tackle more history tomorrow; right now he needed time to absorb everything he learned today. A wide yawn punctuated his decision. He crawled to the end and sat up cross-legged against the headrest. Arms folded securely in his voluminous sleeves, the dog-eared boy nodded off to sleep

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Soft padded footsteps halted just outside his door, rousing Inuyasha from a habitually light sleep. The silver-haired entity didn't bother cracking his lids as the brass knob turned slowly, his nose having already informed him of the intruder's identity. A high-pitched giggle followed the creaking door hinges. He didn't so much as flinch when socked feet shuffled further into the room.

"You know, that's not how you sleep on a bed."

"What's it matter to you?" he peeked a single amber eye open at the young girl standing before him in pale yellow pajamas. She started at his quick response.

"You--- you were awake?"

"Of course," he snorted. "Why wouldn't I be with all the noise you made sneaking in here."

"Right," Kagome rolled her eyes in a gesture strangely reminiscent of her younger brother. "Well, Souta's at school and Mama said she had some errands to run so it's just you and me today."

"Figured as much," Inuyasha stretched languidly, completely missing how the teenager in front of him averted her gaze with a rosy blush. "They woke me up earlier with all their running around."

"Yeah, Souta was being a pest this morning. He kept insisting that he needed to stay home too and help you out."

"So I heard."

"From downstairs?" Kagome sent him an incredulous look.

"No, these are just for show," the youkai drawled sarcastically while waving at the furry appendages atop his head.

"Sorry," she flushed, shamefully this time. "I--- I just didn't think."

"Whatever," he shrugged, brushing the matter off entirely. "So, you got anything in the way of food?"

"Thinking with your stomach, eh?" the mutant shook her head wistfully. "Men. No matter the time or place, I guess some things never change."

The duo made their way to the kitchen, where Kagome poured Inuyasha a bowl of cereal. He liked it, but found a need to voice (quite rudely) that he found ramen much more superior in taste. The girl huffed, called him an ingrate, slammed both palms on the table, and threw him a prissy "see if I ever make you anything to eat again" before stomping to the living room.

He proceeded to polish off the bran flakes, storming after the irate girl when he finished. He saw her perched cross-legged on the cream couch, remote in hand as brilliant blue light emanated from the television screen, reflecting azure highlights along her raven strands. Inuyasha paused. Pride had brought him here, demanding to have the last word, but the sight of her (sitting in simple elegance) spirited away his scathing words.

"Are you ready?"

"Huh?" he mentally berated himself for falling into such an evident stupor.

"For movie time," she held up the control and spun around with a beaming smile. Golden eyes narrowed suspiciously as he moved to plop down beside her. Her bipolar mood swings were going to be the death of him.

Kagome started him on what she referred to as "a little Kurosawa." He sat through several hours of "Rashomon" and "Yojimbo." The latter had a nice, action-oriented plot; and while Inuyasha didn't completely dislike the first one, he found the story a bit hard to grasp at times. Besides, growing up the way he did, he hardly needed a silly film to tell him about the dueling darker natures of humankind. When he explained these misgivings to Kagome, she blew the movie off as "too artsy" for him. The youkai merely blinked at her, unsure whether she had just insulted him or not. He decided to be safe for once and ignored the obnoxious inner voice telling him she was.

Around two-thirty, they paused for a meal. Inuyasha rubbed his eyes furiously as they waited on the ramen; already sensitive optic nerves not use to the copious amount of outside stimulation. The mutant girl noticed and took pity on him. After the last noodle had been slurped, she headed upstairs (leaving him sitting at the table puzzled) only to return minutes later with what he dubbed "the book-of-imminent-headaches."

"There's no way in Hell I'm reading that now!" he exclaimed, immediately cursing himself for showing weakness. The amber-eyed boy dropped his chin, shooting his opponent an audacious side glance: daring her to make a snide comment.

"Oh, don't worry, I understand. I actually have something else in mind," the teen grinned. Inuyasha seemed taken aback by her casual demeanor, and rightfully so; they rarely went so many hours without a single disagreement.

"Alright, what did you have in mind?" he prompted warily.

"Well," she continued. "You seemed a little tired of everything, so I figured we could just sit here and talk." A dark eyebrow inched up at this statement. "You know, answer any questions you have--- about anything. The past, now--- I brought down the text in case you asked something I really didn't know the answer to."

"Oh," he wavered. Kagome's proposal sounded ominously like the odds could go very bad very fast.

Which it did.

"For the love of--- did you even read any of this!" she exasperated, fifteen minutes later.

"Of course I did!" Inuyasha answered defensively. "You can't expect me to remember everything in one day!"

"You're hopeless," the girl sighed with a diminutive shake of her head. "Just hopeless."

"Who do you think you are saying things like that?! You've had your whole life to learn this stuff!"

"I suppose," her lower lip protruded in a definite pout. Inuyasha grunted and rose from his chair, seeming to dismiss her plight in typical jerk fashion.

"What are you doing?" she asked glumly, expecting a boorish remark for her presumptuous words.

"Going back to the room where those movies are. I'm feeling fine now--- you coming or not?"

Kagome blinked, not use to him being the one to defuse their spats. Inuyasha hardly seemed the type to act "responsible adult" in a situation. He stepped through the doorway and disappeared, shoulders squared against her penetrating stare. Disappointment flooded the girl right then, jaw nearly cracking linoleum as a disturbing thought suddenly occurred her. Could she--- possibly--- enjoy her fights with Inuyasha? The very idea baffled her; it made absolutely no sense. Humor soon replaced horror, the full gravity of her predicament finally panning outward. A tight mouth twitched in silent, caustic laughter as the confused teenager moved to follow him. Maybe they were both hopeless after all.

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"Wait! My family's caught under our house--- I need your help!"

Inuyasha didn't even try to hide the visible flinch that rocked his body at the television's desperate plea. He watched with glazed expression as a young boy ran through broken ruble from a once bustling city, begging for aid only to be turned down again and again. His family had lived outside the mold, been shunned for it, and now (in the face of disaster) were abandoned to fate. A familiar sting prickled along the youkai's lower lids, but he had plenty hard years to practice holding back tears. The situations--- he gulped (swept away by onslaughts of resurfacing memories,) they paralleled so closely.

Another shutter racked the distressed youth as Kagome peeked cautiously through ebony bangs, seriously reconsidering her movie choice at his apparent upset. She recalled her genuine delight over finding the old live-action "Barefoot Gen" VHS; not only was it about World War II (a genre outside her dad's preference) but also uncommon. After a brief explanation of the circumstances (and subsequent shouting match) she pressed play, never anticipating the violent reaction she was about to witness. His horrified gaze captivated her, only concern outweighing her curiosity to inquire on his reasons.

"Somebody! Somebody help!"

A sharp intake of breath escaped Inuyasha. He no longer saw the charred remains of Hiroshima, but a small feudal village: a damiyo's styled mansion looming over the residents from the hill above.

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"Wait--- please---"

A young boy stumbled up to the old man walking across the courtyard, tiny claw-tipped hand raised for attention. His red hakama had been cinched at the ankles to accommodate his active nature, but even his mother's clever alterations couldn't prevent the child from tripping over his own feet every once in a while.

"Doctor!"

The elder disregarded the boy's hail completely. He quickened his causal pace, pretending not to notice the snow-white head bobbing toward him.

"Doctor! Haha-ue won't stop coughing! Please help her!"

----------

Gen fumbled through the wreckage on screen, scanning a broken horizon in vain as he continued to call out.

"Somebody! Help me rescue my family!"

----------

He halted abruptly outside the gate when a small fist pulled insistently at the folds of his light blue hakama. With an audible whoosh, the doctor whirled around, striking the child viciously over the head.

"Ah!"

A light whimper escaped the boy. He clutched at inhuman ears, pounding and ringing from the callous blow.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands, hanyou!"

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"Somebody! Anybody!"

Gen's voice echoed lifelessly through silicon speakers. In the distance, the crackle of nearing flames shattered the answering silence.

----------

Anger flooded little Inuyasha. The doctor stared down his long nose in contempt at him, lips pulled back in a familiar sneer. Amber irises (still a bit too large for his head) narrowed dangerously, but the boy held his ire in check; kneeling instead before the man with a reluctant bow. His mission was far too important.

"Please, doctor. My mother is sick--- will you help her?"

Wind blew between them, the only sound in an otherwise barren yard. A loud guffaw suddenly snapped the still tension, causing Inuyasha to peer inquisitively up from his submissive position. His face fell at the sight that greeted him.

The doctor was laughing at him.

"Me? Help her?" the man gasped. "I wouldn't touch a woman who tainted herself with a youkai, let alone cure her! She deserves all the pain she suffers for her foolishness. Besides," he spun toward the gate, tossing one last commentary over his shoulder. "You're the offspring of a youkai. The two aren't meant to coexist."

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"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, no longer trying to cover her worry. His mouth hung open slightly, yellow eyes clouded over, complexion pale enough to match his hair. She scooted closer. A slender hand reached out, poised to yank him from his waking nightmare.

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"You probably poisoned her yourself with your very existence."

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"Inuyasha?"

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The child wilted as the doctor strode away without a care. Fat droplets spilled over, coursing down his chubby cheeks. What was he suppose to tell his mother now? And that man--- what if what he said was true? Everyone in the castle called him filthy or tainted. What if he was the reason his mother was ill?

"Haha-ue," the boy murmured sadly. He wiped the tears furiously with crimson sleeves, standing hesitantly as he prepared to return to his mother's side.

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"Inuyasha!"

The youkai jerked. Instincts alert, he snatched the offensive hand shaking his shoulder. Shocked brown eyes met his scrutiny. Kagome stared back at him, never yielding, matching his resolve blow for blow. Her lips parted, diverting his attention, and uttered four words.

"Inuyasha--- you're hurting me."

He flung the limb away like red-hot ofudas against his skin. In a way, her simple comment did burn him. Much to his surprise, the young man found he hated himself right then. Kagome didn't deserve pain anymore than he and his mother did. What had he become?

"Inuyasha?"

She leaned toward him again, unafraid. He balked; why didn't she fear him or, at the very least, hate him? Everything about this girl stumped him. The distance shortened. He felt cornered. What could he do? What should he say?

At a loss for anything else, he fled.

"Hey! Wait---"

He paid no heed to the mutant's cry. The youkai ran, knowing she would never catch up. Created wind whipped through his long locks, a bitter reminder of his wild days.

Inuyasha didn't even realize his destination until he paused before the massive roots of Goshimboku. The holy tree, once free to reign over the forest from its humble clearing, had been encased in a crumbing wooden tomb. Streams of sunlight punched through the depilated roof, surrounding the magical being inside with a golden ambience. He leapt effortlessly over the ancient wooden labyrinth, settling cross-legged against the trunk where bark had been stripped bare by his five-hundred year presence. A sardonic chuckle sounded at the unbelievable irony of where he had come for comfort. He really did have nowhere else to go.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Perhaps not so unbelievable, he thought grudgingly. Kagome stood at the base on the viewing platform, no sign of pity in her warm brown pools. Only understanding.

"Not really," Inuyasha sighed. He couldn't bring himself to snap at such an open expression. Still, he wasn't ready to let his walls down for her quite yet. "Just--- stuff--- in the past," he nodded, pleased with his compromise.

"I see," she breathed, realizing that she would hear no more on the matter. "Well, you know--- I don't mind--- If you wanted to talk about something--- that is."

"Why?"

"Eh?" she furrowed dark brows, silently asking him to elaborate.

"Why are you doing all this? Why are you being so nice?"

"Oh, that," Kagome blew the bangs off her face with a powerful puff of air. "I don't really know, but I can't just abandon you to a world you don't even know," she scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "It's my fault you're awake now. Doing anything else just seemed--- wrong--- I would have done the same for anyone else and--- are you laughing at me?"

"No," Inuyasha choked on another fit. "It's just--- nothing, nothing," he waved a hand dismissively in front of his face. He wasn't sure exactly what brought on the sudden peals, but his mind seemed to fixate particularly on the girl's unusually pure heart. People innately kind as Kagome were a rare breed in any age. Warmth rose unbidden through his chest, bubbling up like sweet spring water out of his mouth. Even the self-labeled "dangerous" path of his thoughts weren't enough to stifle the boy's immediate joy over finally feeling some small form of acceptance.

"Fine, whatever," she huffed, throwing her arms in the air. "I just don't get you!"

Inuyasha was hard-pressed to conceal his mirth as she stomped back toward the house. Funny, how he had been thinking the exact same thing moments ago. Shaking his silver head hopelessly, he jumped down to follow her. They were nearly halfway across the grounds when Kagome stopped suddenly, causing Inuyasha to almost bump her from behind.

"Oi! What the Hell was---"

"Oh, great."

The pair, stuck out in the open, could only watch as Sango and Miroku stepped through the red arch that marked the temple entrance. Maroon and violet-blue simultaneously widened as their owners slowly processed the strange sight before them.

----------

A/N: The end--- j/k! The next chapter's on it's way! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find the remnants of my brain now.


	9. Black Holes and Red Marks

A/N: I apologize profusely for the lateness of this chapter. It seems whenever I get up to asking life for a little break, more shit just hits the fan. Oh well, boring real life aside, this chap gave me a lot of trouble in places (a little something I like to call selective writer's block) Basically, I know where the story's going and how it's going to get there, I just occasionally run into a patch where I can't seem to write it the way I want to. Thankfully, I pulled myself out of that hole, wrote the longest chapter on record for this fic (a little over 20 pages in Word!) and managed to get out some good developments for my effort--- slowly but surely a plot is forming (I repeat this to myself whenever I feel like banging my head against the keyboard) and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did bringing it to life. Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers who stuck with me even after nearly two months without an update. And with a cliffhanger too. Yikes! Sorry about that!

Disclaimer: If I was making a profit off this I wouldn't have to get up early for class tomorrow, now would I?

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Chapter 8: Black Holes and Red Marks

By Kenkaya

"And so that's what happened over the past two days," Kagome finished from her kitchen chair, a strong case of déjà vu washing over her. Tentatively, she waited on tender hooks for her audience's response.

Miroku leaned back with a thoughtful "hmm." He had sat still through the entire story, occasionally nodding his head with a contemplative expression. Now, with all the facts out on the table, he seemed to be mulling them over carefully.

Sango's interest had been far less reserved. Rising from her kneeling position soon after Inuyasha's awakening was mentioned; she proceeded to walk circles around the perplexed youkai, pausing occasionally to properly examine him from every possible corner while he scooted back and forth not-so-subtly. By the end of the tale, Inuyasha was shooting Kagome obvious "get your creepy friend away from me, NOW!" glares. Sadly, she was far too anxious to humor him and the trend persisted through the following silence.

"Some fascinating developments, I must say," Miroku commented simply, concluding his lengthy brainstorm. Lifting ungloved hand to stroke his chin, the overtly dramatic teen "hmm" 'ed once more, completely ignoring his girlfriend's antics.

"You can say that again," Kagome chuckled intrusively, sending the amber-eyed nuisance a "deal with it" look while she was at it. "But I was wondering Miroku--- has this Kagura person ever approached you or--- maybe--- have you heard anything about her?"

"So that's why," Inuyasha suddenly interjected, causing Sango to jump back a bit in surprise. "You didn't tell your mother all that stuff."

"Of course not!" the young girl fumed. "Would you tell YOUR mother if someone offered you a shady deal and then later that night masked thugs tried to kill you?!" the youkai suppressed a flush of shame at her words. Of course he knew, but Kagome wasn't aware of that. He had kept many similar secrets from his own mother centuries ago. Even the incident with the doctor, he had returned to her room late that afternoon and claimed to have missed the man.

"Anyway," she continued, ignorant to the youkai's inner turmoil. "Miroku's a mutant too so I figured he might know something about Kagura and the organization she works for. It's too much of a coincidence that I happened to be attacked the same night that woman came with her offer. I'm pretty sure the two are connected."

"I agree," Miroku sighed, arm dropping to his lap. "Unfortunately, I don't have any information regarding your mysterious 'Kagura,' but I could always ask Kaede-sensei--- that is, of course, if you don't mind. In fact, I may not have been solicited like you because of my affiliation with her."

"Is she from the school you mentioned a while back?" Kagome questioned. In the background, Inuyasha humorously evaded Sango's energetic attempts to grab hold of his ears for closer inspection.

"Why, yes. Kaede-sensei is headmistress," Miroku perked up at her apparent interest. "She's a delightful old lady and incredibly intelligent--- I'm sure you'd like her."

"Miroku--- you've asked me before and the answer is still no," the mutant girl rebuked sharply. "It's bad enough with practically everyone at school knowing. If I joined now--- my family would be dragged in deeper by the stigma. Besides, I can't really afford to drop anymore hints to Jii-chan. He wouldn't be able to take it." Kagome bit her lip at the end of her practiced spiel. She wasn't exactly lying, family had definitely been a main factor in her reasoning, but the troubled teen had never given voice to her other (deeper) trepidations for fear the loyal couple would realize just how insecure she was.

Kagome received her first invitation shortly after joining their tiny group. The idea of a "mutant school," which the junior high senior could attend anonymously during evenings, where her unique abilities could be honed to benefit society- had hardly seemed a tempting option at the time. Her pain over suddenly being ousted from an accepting society was still fresh. Miroku had simply smiled at her flat refusal, ending the subject by stating he'd "been a doubter once too," and never asked again (though he brought up hints occasionally to suggest the offer was still open.)

Back then, she had been reluctant and green; now, she was just plain frightened. Oh, the girl didn't hate herself for being a mutant, and she certainly wasn't afraid to use her powers anymore, but joining would mean accepting a personal commitment. One she wasn't sure she was ready to take. Kagome worried to the point of neurotic that, if she were to reach that point, things would change; wouldn't be as simple anymore.

"I understand," Miroku spoke, breaking her line of thought. Sango had paused off to the side, brow furrowed, giving her new guinea pig opportunity to shield himself behind Kagome.

"Kagome-chan--- that reminds me, about your grandfather---"

"We're home!"

The foursome visibly jumped as running footsteps pounded down the hall. Souta skidded to a halt in the kitchen doorway, decked out in all his tussled eight-year-old glory. A wide grin spilt across his face.

"Awesome, Miroku's here! Someone I can finally play Street Fighter with!"

"I'm afraid you're out of luck, Souta," the young man put on a superior air. "I refuse to taint my hands by touching a controller connected to a fighting game not made by SNK."

"Aww! But nobody else here can play me!" the boy whined.

"Well--- how about next time I come over I bring a copy of King of Fighters to conver--- to play with you. I swear you'll never poison yourself with another Capcom game again."

"Oh, Miroku-kun--- Sango-chan, I didn't realize you were here," Higurashi-san chimed in, stepping around her sulking son. Her movement was a bit awkward, and rightfully so, as she was balancing multiple bags with only two arms.

"Mama!" Kagome exclaimed, rushing over to relieve her. "Let me get some of those--- Souta!" she rounded on her mopey brother. "Why didn't you help Mama carry the bags inside?"

"I did," he mumbled, still pouting. "I helped her carry them to the door."

"Why! You unbelievable---"

"Kids! We have company!" the older woman emphasized. The pair immediately stopped trying to strangle each other.

"Oh, don't mind me," Miroku grinned deviously. "I find violent sibling rivalry quite amusing, actually."

Inuyasha turned to peg him with a stony look, "I don't really know you," he began. "But something about the way you said that makes me think you're really a twisted person."

"Is it that obvious?" the male teen blinked. Inuyasha blinked back, not expecting such a blunt response.

"At least he hasn't seen how perverted you are yet," Sango remarked dryly. Her boyfriend appeared hurt at those words.

"Why, my darling Sango," he gasped, violet eyes tearing up on cue. "You know my hands belong to your rear--- and your rear alone! After you, I could never bring myself to grope another woman again!"

"Honestly, Miroku!" she shouted. "You don't have any respect for me do you? Have you ever thought that maybe I might have some feelings on the matter? What if I don't want to be touched like that in public--- or without my permission for that matter? Have you ever thought about that?"

"Oh, but how can I possibly be expected to keep my wits about me in the presence of such beauty? You are cruel, my beloved Sango! Too cruel!"

"Well, perhaps if you respected my personal rights---"

The tomboy's sentence was cut off by the set of lips now stealing breath from hers. All too soon, contact was broken and they stood mere inches apart; Sango staring at him with wide, emotion-filled maroon irises.

"Sango," Miroku whispered, his voice lowered to a rich baritone.

"Oh, Miroku!" she cried, flinging herself toward him at the same time he leapt for her. They crashed together in a mangled heap of limbs and touching body parts, falling to their knees as they slumped against each other. Caught up in the moment and completely unaware of their audience, the couple proceeded to engage in a very graphic make-out session on the Higurashi's kitchen floor.

"Eeeew!" Souta moaned, turning away while making gagging motions.

"Oh, my! There's just no stopping them, is there?" Higurashi-san clapped a dainty hand to her cheek. Kagome shook her head with a 'here they go again' eye roll.

"I think we should leave the room before they REALLY get carried away," the girl muttered. Her family took the initiative, leaving poor Kagome alone to hoist a mortified Inuyasha up by the elbow.

"Kagome, dear," her mother called back. "When those two are done, why don't you invite them to dinner?"

"Sure thing, Mama," the mutant girl answered while dragging a reluctant youkai behind her. Golden eyes stared as the entwined couple disappeared beyond the hallway corner, still attempting without success to process what he just witnessed. Sure, Inuyasha had seen people kissing before, but the act (as he recalled) was always treated as something secretive; done between lovers in shadowed corners and forest hallows. Not in an exposed room and certainly not with visible spectators. He found himself wondering: what kind of culture bred such free behavior?

"Sorry you had to see that," Kagome shrugged sheepishly. Inuyasha flicked his gaze from the wall to look her in the eye. He may not have voiced or hinted his gratitude, but the time-hopper did appreciate her clumsy attempt to ease his discomfort.

"I mean--- geez!" she steered headfirst into a rant. "I swear, every single time! Those two just can't keep their hands off each other for more than five minutes!" the teen finished with a frustrated huff, undermined by the wistful smile adorning her face. Ear muscles ticked repeatedly as his head spun in circles. So their actions were commonplace? Inuyasha lost count of the many times he felt like an utter alien in this world, yet he had a growing feeling that particular incident was quickly climbing to the top of the list.

Meanwhile, nearly ten minutes later in the previously occupied kitchen, Sango and Miroku broke apart giggling. The boy's vocal amusement soon died, even if the jaw-splitting grin on his face did not. Sango, still tittering, rested her head along the crook under his chin. They sat together in a loose embrace, basking in the afterglow, content to absorb themselves in their love for each other. Violet eyes scanned the room languidly before a nagging thought finally clicked in the boy's brain.

"Huh? Where did everybody go?" he blinked.

----------

"---And Houjou was so busy shouting insults at us, he didn't even notice the fence pole until he slammed into it face first! Then he did this funny little backwards arm wave and fell flat on his ass in front of half the school! It was hilarious! You should have been there Kagome-chan!"

"Sounds like it, Sango-chan," Kagome grinned half-heartedly at her excited friend. "So--- do you have those assignments you came here to give me?"

"Oh, yeah," Sango jumped up, remembering the initial reason for her and Miroku's visit. "They're in my bag."

The mutant girl felt a wave of relief rush over her as the pony-tailed girl scurried off to fulfill her goal. Not that Kagome wasn't grateful for Sango's attempts to cheer her up, but the last thing she wanted at the moment was to be reminded of her heartache in front of everyone. Especially Inuyasha and her family.

The lovey-dovey couple had accepted the Higurashi's invitation to dinner earlier, after a brief return from cloud nine. Now, the entire group sat clustered in the living room: Kagome and her mother dominated the sofa, Miroku had made himself comfortable in an adjacent matching chair (his girlfriend perched on the wide, cushioned arm when present,) while Inuyasha and Souta occupied the ever popular floor.

"Hey, Miroku-niisan," the eight-year-old suddenly piped up, breaking the standing quiet that descended on the room at Sango's departure. "I know you're a mutant like neechan too--- but I kinda always wondered--- what are your powers?"

"Souta, sweetheart--- you shouldn't just come out and ask personal questions like that," Higurashi sighed at her son's childish curiosity. "It's a sensitive subject. What if Miroku-kun doesn't feel comfortable discussing those things?"

"But neechan never told me! And I've been wanting to know since forever!"

"Oh, it's quite alright, Higurashi-san," Miroku waved a placating hand. "I'm not ashamed of what I am and I trust your family."

"Yeah! Told you!" the boy cheered, completely forgetting his former hesitation. Inuyasha leaned closer at the impromptu celebration, attempting rather unsuccessfully to hide his own interest. He wanted--- no, needed to know more; old instincts kicking in despite the massive information overload he'd experienced over the past two days. Kagome and the thugs who attacked her were the only other mutants he'd seen since waking up and (though he'd been told powers varied from person to person) the full extent of their abilities remained a mystery to him. Inuyasha didn't like uncertainties. A hard life had taught him to always look for possible trouble in order to avoid it in future endeavors. Besides, he was still wary of this Miroku character.

"I'll show you," he smiled as Sango re-entered the room, papers in hand. Slowly, he began to undo the clasps of his gauntlet. Inuyasha and Souta inched close eagerly as the mutant boy pulled away the thick material to reveal---

A perfectly smooth, ordinary right hand.

"Aw, I thought you were hiding something cool under there," Souta fell back with a groan. The child's disappointment echoed Inuyasha's sentiments exactly. That had been an awful lot of build-up for nothing.

"You think not?" Miroku quirked a dark eyebrow playfully. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere shifted. Every single alarm in the youkai's head went off with a vengeance as surrounding air currants switched abruptly to converge on the nonchalant boy. A brief glance around the room revealed to Inuyasha that, while everyone else had definitely felt the change, none seemed very startled by the drastic effect. Thoroughly unnerved by now, sharp amber eyes and sensitive ear skin quickly zeroed in until all his senses found common focus on a tiny spot, barely a centimeter from the mutant's palm. Slitted orbs narrowed. For a second, Inuyasha swore he saw a rip in the air, a void of suspended nothingness little more than the size of a rice grain; but almost as soon as he noticed it, the hole vanished, leaving the perplexed youkai to wonder if he had just imagined the whole apparition.

"Miroku!"

Sango screeched as multiple ivory white sheets flew from her arms and scattered in mid-air. Just as suddenly as it began, the environment snapped dramatically back to normalcy. Papers fluttered noisily as everyone in the room (aside from both female teenagers) attempted to comprehend what had just happened. A resounding click reverberated. Miroku finished fastening the final clasp of his gauntlet before the first gliding sheet even touched the ground.

"Damn it, Miroku! You did that on purpose!" flames engulfed the girl's blazing maroon eyes, causing the recipient to chuckle nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Now, now, Sango--- they just asked what my power was so I obliged."

"You didn't have to show them like that!"

"Now, kids," Higurashi placated, preparing to assume her familiar roll of peacemaker.

"What in the Hell was _that_?"

Five heads turned in unison towards Inuyasha's vehement outburst. Immediately, Miroku opened his mouth, always ready to have a little more fun. One look at the aggravated youkai (clawed fingers hooked into the carpet, whole body tense, fangs subtly barred) and the young mutant decided against it. He had to remind himself they were dealing with a displaced supernatural being (of relatively unknown capabilities) who was constantly on edge: a potentially dangerous combination that probably wouldn't appreciate his warped jokes. Miroku valued his life after all.

"What you just witnessed was the result of my power," he began to explain with a wary eye on Inuyasha. "I'm able to manifest an inter-dimensional tear through the palm of my right hand. What you felt was the vacuum pull of the small opening I summoned."

"That's so unbelievably cool!" Souta practically drooled. As a child literally bombarded with science fiction concepts in manga and video games, he had no problem understanding the basic mechanics.

Meanwhile, the unwitting time traveler merely sat there, blinking dumbly. In her head, Kagome began a mental countdown: three--- two---

"Inter-WHAT?!"

One. Wow, she conjured an imaginary whistle. That was fast.

"Well you see--- how to explain this," Miroku ran his gloved hand through ebony strands with a troubled sigh. Perceiving a somewhat superior air in the boy's words, Inuyasha allowed a low growl to issue from the depths of his throat. He had been looked down on many times in the past and ample experience had proved that he absolutely loathed the feeling. However, a sharp kick to his lower back silenced the affronted youkai, reminding him painfully that a certain girl was sitting directly behind him on the cushioned couch.

"Ah! I have it!" Miroku snapped his fingers triumphantly, catching everyone's attention. "Alright, now, imagine a mirror---" he paused for effect.

"Yeah, and the point of that is?" Inuyasha received another swift kick for his intended sarcasm.

"Well, when you look into a mirror you see a reflection--- now, imagine that reflection is another you: walking alongside you, living a life parallel to yours, but you can only see each through the mirror because you live on different planes of existence. Now take away the mirror and you have two different worlds right beside each other but who are unaware of one another. Almost like our world is a ghost of theirs and vice versa."

"I think I get it," the white-haired boy mumbled, rubbing the left side of his skull with the end of his palm.

"Good," Miroku nodded before quickly moving on. "Now what I'm able to do is create a sort of portal between those worlds. However, the leftover force behind opening it converts into a type of vacuum. Meaning, if I were to use this ability fully on someone, they would be sucked into the other world without hope of escape--- at least, not through me."

"So why do you wear that glove-thing?" Souta chirped. Inuyasha internally thanked the boy for voicing his own daunting curiosity. As far as he was concerned, the youkai had made a fool of himself enough for one day.

"Well--- you see," the mutant hesitated a bit, though not out of fear. A light flush briefly brushed across his cheeks as he plunged onward. "When my power first manifested, I--- I didn't have very much control. It didn't happen often in the beginning and the openings were rather small so I tried to ignore it. Eventually, I noticed they had a tendency to pop up when I was emotional or tired--- so I pushed away my friends, became cold to everyone, and gained a reputation for sleeping through classes. Not like they would have stuck around once they found out anyway. But of course, that couldn't last for very long---"

Sango placed a comforting hand on his upper arm. She knew the story by heart and all the painful parts where he might need support. Miroku covered her hand with his, tossing a grateful smile over his shoulder before continuing.

"One night I--- got into a very bad fight with Mushin, my foster father," he elaborated for the two floor loafers. "I lost it big time. The hole was bigger than usual, and the suction was powerful enough to actually pull Mushin off his feet. In a panic, I closed my hand into a fist but I could feel the vacuum pulling at my fingers. Back then, I had no clue of exactly what I was doing. The thought of being sucked into an unknown void, possibly dying or being trapped forever in nothingness, numbed my mind long enough for me to finally concentrate on closing the rip. Afterward--- Mushin told me that I needed to go get help--- that I couldn't just keep dealing with it by myself like this. Kaede-sensei recruited me shortly afterwards."

"Is she the person who made that for you?" the child interrupted with pointed finger and classic timing.

"Oh, no," Miroku chuckled, seeming to break out of his self-induced melancholy. "We decided early on, since I was a danger to others as well as myself, that--- precautions--- should be taken until I gained more control. Kaede-sensei contacted one of her American colleagues and he found someone over there to make this for me (Forge was his name, I believe.) Anyway, the glove has been inter-woven with small fibers of a unique metal called vibranium which has been altered to absorb the vibrations caused by the pull of my---"

The young man trailed off on the technical details. Inuyasha had completely discarded any pretext of appearing interested in the face of utter bewilderment. Even Souta seemed stretched to his sci-fi loving limits.

"Oh, I give up," Miroku sighed, falling back in his soft armchair. A crafty arm sneaked around Sango's waist, pulling her stealthily onto his lap while she squealed indignation.

"Oh for the love of--- can you please restrain yourselves just this once?" Kagome moaned, complete with eye roll. "For all our sakes."

"But how can I possibly hold myself back within arm's reach of such unwavering beauty?"

"Oh, Miroku--- you're hopeless," Sango sighed with a playful elbow to his gut. The boy in question grinned mischievously, but (to everyone's immediate relief) initiated a tickle battle instead of the expected tongue wrestle.

The two guests didn't stay much longer, citing the late hour as they rose to leave. Kagome cheerfully waved her friends goodbye from the top of the shrine stairs before remembering Sango had mentioned something about her grandfather earlier. She opened her mouth to call out, knowing full well that Sango's aunt worked at the hospital, but soon cut off the shout. They had already reached street level besides, she assured herself, the doctor would have called if something important had happened. Stifling a yawn as the couple walked out of sight, the weary girl figured she could always ask tomorrow.

-----------

"Are you almost ready, Kagome-dear?" Higurashi called from the kitchen stove. Said girl walked in the doorway seconds later, sleepy eyed and obviously not appreciating the morning hour.

"Yeah, Mama," a loud yawn punctuated her sentence as she seated herself at the table. "I'm just gonna grab something to eat real quick."

"You're not wearing your school uniform," the woman frowned at her daughter's plain, oversized t-shirt and ripped jeans.

"Oh yeah," Kagome scratched her scalp to cover the pause. "I was thinking of--- going somewhere for a little bit after school, just to give myself a break from everything. Don't worry, I won't stay out too long and I have an extra uniform in my bag."

"Alright," Higurashi relented, expression clearly showing she hadn't swallowed the terrible lie at all. Lips twitched nervously, as if hesitating to commit themselves to her next words, before finally managing (with visible trepidation) to part the thick silence. "You're a good girl, Kagome--- I know that. I'm just afraid you'll stop caring and start acting like--- like some delinquent. You're better than that."

"I know, Mama," the teen mumbled, watery brown eyes downcast. What could she say to her mother? Certainly not the truth: that her school stopped caring for her ages ago. It would break the poor woman's heart.

"So--- what do you have planned for Inuyasha today?" the girl asked, desperate to change the subject. Amazingly enough, the tactless ploy seemed to work.

"Oh, I was planning on giving him some chores to do around the shrine. Goodness knows things haven't been the same since your grandfather fell ill. Besides, he could probably use a break of his own from studying."

"That sounds good, Mama," Kagome spoke tentatively. "But what if one of the tourists sees him? Bit of a far stretch to say he was wearing a costume for sweeping."

"Oh, that's right, I didn't show you my purchases yesterday," Higurashi perked up. She turned off the stove flame quickly before scurrying out of the room in a flurry of excitement. "Why don't you go get Inuyasha-kun, dear," she threw over her shoulder. "He should see this too."

Kagome shrugged indifferently. Covering another wide yawn, she rose slowly and trudged toward the stairs to follow her mother's whimsy.

"I heard my name."

Bleary eyes peered up to meet piercing amber, glaring at her from above. She should have guessed, the drowsy girl thought as she blinked back from the bottom step, especially after yesterday's escapade.

"Mama wants to see us both for something," she spun around quickly, missing the strange look that crossed Inuyasha's face at her dulled tone.

"Oi! What's your problem?" he groused.

"It's seven-thirty in the morning! That's my problem!"

The youkai backed off instantly, deciding it was in his best interest to keep his big mouth shut. Deep down, a primal male instinct whispered to him that incurring Kagome's wrath now would be a very, VERY dangerous thing.

"Ah, here we are!" Higurashi-san exclaimed as they entered the dining area together. "I was wondering when you two would decide to show up. Here," she pushed a large shopping bag over the table. "This is for you, Inuyasha-kun."

The boy in question merely stared at the object in front of him. From across, the older woman beamed: hands folded delicately as she waited patiently for him to open her gift. He chanced a sideways glance at Kagome to find the half-awake teenager seemed just as curious as he. Having received no clue from either female, Inuyasha reached into the mysterious bag without further adieu.

"The Hell?"

He pulled out a soft, durable cloth of dark grey. Spreading the material apart upon closer inspection, the youkai realized with a start that the article appeared to be a garment of some sort; cut almost identical to the ones Kagome and Souta usually wore on their upper bodies.

"You bought him clothes, Mama?" snowy ears twitched expectantly as Kagome voiced the exact question running through his skull.

"Well, I didn't go overboard, dear--- just a couple t-shirts and a pair of jeans to start with. I figured, now that he can fit in a bit better, the two of you could shop for more later. After all," she smiled humorously. "We wouldn't want Inuyasha-kun to go walking through town looking like his mother dressed him, would we?"

"Thanks, Mama," the young girl nodded. She turned to her companion, fully ready to kick an expression of gratitude out of him, but halted at the odd shimmer in his eyes. An experimental hand reached out, waving inches from his nose before retracting slowly, dejected by his lack of reaction. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spun around suddenly, pegging her with glimmering gold.

"Inuyasha?" she inquired softly. He didn't answer, only continued to stare through her iridescent depths.

To say Inuyasha was touched would be quite accurate, though much more than he'd be willing to admit. The boy sat there, blankly observing Kagome's baffled response as emotions swirled wildly inside; churning into a veritable maelstrom of confusion. His mind swam madly, searching anywhere for a decent handhold and latched onto the largest outcrop immediately. Nostalgic sadness filled him. He vividly remembered his own mother giving him the firerat cloth as a child. The noble woman had smiled back then, humming softly as she wrapped sturdy red fabric around his small frame: wistfully telling him the story behind 'his father's final gift.' A ruefully twitch escaped the corner of his perpetual scowl.

That had been the last time anyone provided for, let alone clothed, him. No one cared to after his mother died.

But, the youkai realized with overwhelming astonishment, the Higurashi family already had done both. They offered meals, a comfortable place to sleep, and information to him without asking a single thing in return. Now, Higurashi-san presented him with modern wear. An unfamiliar prickle emerged behind amber eyes. Kagome tapped his shoulder gently, voicing concern as he fought valiantly against the traitorous moisture. It was at that precise moment Inuyasha recognized how truly lucky he was.

The world was cruel and (from what he gathered) it didn't seem that fact had changed over the last five centuries. Souta's bruises, Kagome's tears, Miroku's story--- they all proved to him the average human still shunned what society deemed abnormal. Mutants, though different, were still human beings essentially. He, however, was another story entirely.

Inuyasha knew Kagome's abilities: he'd watched her walk on air after awakening, seen her tease Souta for taking too long in the bathroom by sticking a warning hand through solid wood door. He suppressed a shutter. How easy would it have been for her to escape him that night? To see him as something other than human; something to be feared, hated, and simply phase through his arms? She could have slid through the wall, fleeing as a surprised youkai stood there in shock, leaving him alone to confront a world he had absolutely no idea how to coexist with. Most, he thought bitterly, would have.

Not Kagome.

She had stayed, looked straight at him and (after one of what he began to consider their 'routine shouting matches') asked who he was. Holding the t-shirt gingerly in front of him, Inuyasha couldn't help musing that the mutant girl had inherited more than just eye color from her mother. The youkai had never met such a generous family in all his years.

"Inuyasha?!"

Worried brown broke through his rumination. Kagome leaned forward with furrowed brow, a small hand resting lightly on his red sleeve, face perilously close.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I am!" he shot back gruffly, more than a little pink on the cheeks. The youkai jerked back roughly, dislodging her loose grip in the process. He really was grateful--- but Inuyasha still had his pride to maintain.

"Oh, I see," the girl murmured as she backed away shyly.

"Well, I'm sure you won't need to wear all of these today," Higurashi interjected, sensing the young man had just sent a potentially tender moment crashing out the window. "Nobody will find the old fashion clothing out of place on shrine grounds, at least. The ears might be a little harder to explain--- I didn't think to get him a hat yesterday, but I'm sure one of my work bandanas should do the trick for now."

"What for?" Inuyasha squinted suspiciously across the table. "Am I going outside for some reason?"

"Well, with Kagome going to school, I thought you might enjoy some fresh air--- you've been cooped up for a long time," the older woman answered his glare with a smile.

"Really? I don't need to watch that T.V. thing or read that book anymore?" to his credit, the youkai did make a token attempt to disguise his immense delight, though he failed miserably for lack of caring. He merely shrugged the slip off. Tact was never one of his stronger points anyway.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Inuyasha," the teen chuckled at his perplexed expression. "But you still have a long way to go--- five hundred years is a lot to catch up on. Just think of today as a short break."

"I guess," he pouted slightly. "So what am I supposed to do all day?"

"Ah, I'll handle that," Higurashi volunteered, gaining another dubious look. "You see--- there's plenty of work to do around the grounds. It'll get you out of the house and keep you occupied so you don't start to suffer boredom. Besides, I could really use the help."

Silence reigned supreme as both females watched for the youkai's reaction carefully. He went from slightly flustered pink to full-blown scarlet in a matter of seconds. Face muscles worked furiously, mouth falling open several times only to close as he bit down whatever scathing words had formed on his tongue, slitted pupils practically invisible amidst a sea of wide amber. Surprise, disbelief, and (finally) fury flashed across his trembling countenance before sound eventually managed to escape mute flapping lips.

"You--- want me--- to do--- labor," Inuyasha sputtered indignantly. The middle-age woman cocked her head quizzically, not fully understanding why her mundane request appeared to offend him so. How could she know he spent his childhood as a noblewoman's son (despised though he was) and subsequent years in the woods as a lone, self-sufficient survivor? Never in his life had he worked for another person; he certainly refused to act like some human's dog! Perhaps he had judged too kindly earlier. The boy inhaled sharply, ready to further give a piece of his mind.

Souta chose that particular moment to conveniently barge in.

"Inu-no-niichan's up! Cool! Can I stay home and help him out today?! Huh?! Huh, Mama?! Pretty Please?!"

Kagome promptly enacted a face-plant on the dining table, dreading the inevitable three-way battle that was to come.

"No, Souta," Higurashi tactfully took control of the situation. "Finish getting ready for school--- and its not labor, Inuyasha-kun. Just a few simple chores---"

"Oh, servant's work then. Why didn't you tell me sooner? That makes me feel so much better!" the youkai snapped, literarily dripping sarcasm.

"Now, now. I'd never ask you to do something I wouldn't be willing to. Actually, Kagome and Souta often---"

"I don't care!" he interrupted. "You can't just make me do whatever you want!"

"Inuyasha-kun---"

"Aw, come on! Neechan got to skip yesterday! I wanna help Inu-no-niichan too!"

"I'm off!" Kagome chose then to make a hasty escape from her chaotic household. She rushed out the door, racing down long familiar stairs, jumping the last two as tradition warranted. Sounds of war faded behind her as she continued her mad dash at street-level.

The girl didn't slow her pace until she was well out of range. Releasing a prolonged sigh the wound-up youth didn't even realize she had been holding, the trek to school resumed at a more relaxed gait. First thing, she began rummaging through her bag, pulled out the folded sick note her mother wrote that morning and tossed it dismissively into the nearest trash can. The validated excuse wouldn't have done her any worthwhile good anyway.

Kagome exhaled loudly. School had fast become a sort of voluntary prison for her. Only the thought of her mother's disapproval (on top of an innate eagerness to learn) stopped her from ditching the institution altogether. Staff and teachers ignored her, as if paying little to no attention could erase her existence from the very earth. Students were by far worse. They teased and bullied: never letting a single reminder of her outcast status slip by. No one admonished her for attending out of uniform, bothered to acknowledge her work (the mutant had accepted the fact that every assignment or piece of homework she did was a personal achievement now.) Sango and Miroku alone made the ordeal bearable.

A standard, sterilized white building loomed into view. Kagome paused. Dumbly, she stood at the wrought iron gate, watching with misted brown as several teenage boys ran past, laughing playfully while chasing after a renegade soccer ball. Not too far off, she spotted her old friends: Eri, Yuka, and Arumi sitting clustered together in a neat semi-circle, talking excitedly amongst themselves complete with hand gestures. She looked on as shy Arumi suddenly began blushing to the roots of her dark curly hair, the others seemingly grilling her on an uncomfortable subject. Probably Houjou, Kagome thought absently. She heard in passing several weeks ago that the two had become an item.

Waves of sorrow crashed over her heart as a cold wind blew from behind, conjuring a frosty mist to glaze over her memories. To think, just a few short months ago, she would have been kneeling in the empty space beside them; swapping gossip and stories.

Like there was nothing more important in the world.

The melancholy teenager sighed. God she had been so naïve then, ignorant by choice of mankind's inherent bigotry. As if sensing her lingering gaze, the trio turned, hushing immediately when she met their dirty looks head on. Yuka (unofficial leader of the group) made a stiff jerking motion, giving the girls signal to retreat. Kagome could only stare with masked longing as they scurried away out of sight. Like Houjou and so many others, they had abandoned her.

Unexpected as it came, the brief squall calmed into a gentle breeze. Kagome inhaled the clean chill deeply. Those innocent days may be gone, but for everything she had lost, the girl had to admit she gained invaluable things in return. She never once gave "mutant lover" Sango the time of day until after that fateful math class event when, feeling alone and scared, Kagome hid in the girl's bathroom during class for a good cry. She remembered soft words filtering through the stall door, a simple phrase that only brought more tears to her eyes.

"Is that you in there, Higurashi Kagome? Are you alright?"

That, she smiled, was real friendship. Not the glossed over amity she shared before. Feeling restored, Kagome took another breath, stepped across the threshold, and plunged in. Conversation halted on cue as she entered the courtyard, soon replaced by easily overheard whispers. Kids hurried out of her way to make a wide path. She held her head high through it all. A pariah, outcast: she refused to let them win, staring past them toward the open door, a mirage of Sango and Miroku waving warmly from the end.

Kagome made it to her first class without further incident. She walked aimlessly to the back row where she usually sat, visibly apart from the rest of her peers. The bell rang and the entire room quieted as their teacher stood at attention.

"Put your work on the right-hand corner of your desks, please," Yamashita-sensei instructed needlessly. Everyone knew the routine by now. He traveled between the rows in an efficient manner, collecting papers from each student without breaking his brisk stride.

Until he reached Kagome.

She saw him pause out of the corner of her eye, fingers hovering barely inches from her large stack, before they fell back and he moved on. Her homework remained untouched. Hardly surprising, she fumed inwardly. Teachers rarely picked up her assignments these days and managed to grade them even less.

Tucking her forsaken work away, Kagome proceeded to open her notebook; preparing enthusiastically for her favorite part of class: lecture. Of course, the neglected pupil was never called on and a few spitballs always seemed to make their way into her long sable locks during this time, but Kagome found it much easier to pretend she was actively participating while Yamashita-sensei talked endlessly. Pen ink flew furiously across manufactured blue lines as she scribbled copious notes. She had to learn this, the girl repeated like a mental mantra, to absorb everything she could. Even if it was mostly for her own sake now.

Yamashita-sensei's voice droned on as Kagome became lost in thought.

She had loved school before (perhaps with the exception of math) and been a model student. Houjou, with his top ranking test score, had been a perfect match for her. The aspiring teen couldn't help basking in the glow that came with her popularity status back then, arrogantly believing her future could be nothing but brighter. Oh, how wrong she had been. So very wrong.

A sticky, wet ball bounced off her cheek, followed by a series of snickers that went unscolded. Kagome blatantly ignored them. She found it cruelly ironic that she, once little Miss Teacher's Pet, was now practically considered "drop-out" material. Another spitball smacked her temple, staying stuck this time. The mutant peeled the white glob off casually without blinking to a chorus of loud snorts. Yamashita-sensei said nothing about their behavior.

Life, she wanted to scream, wasn't fair.

----------

Kagome didn't have time to react, let alone scream, as she was roughly shoved into an open broom closet. Her upper arm slammed against the butt of a hanging mop, tearing a sharp cry from the depths of her throat. Malicious laughter echoed through the tiny space before the door slammed shut, locking her in darkness.

"Do you think she'll walk through?"

"In that dark little space? Hell, yeah! I give her ten minutes, tops."

"Nah, I hear this one's stubborn. I say fifteen."

"Wanna bet on that?"

Inside, Kagome slid down the plaster wall into a sitting position, knocking over several wooden handles and cleaning utensils in the process. Cradling her sore limb, she banged her head backwards softly (one thump, two thump,) wondering why she always happened to find herself in these situations. Then again, she added on second thought, the day had been a rather uneventful one for her. She should have expected something like this when lunchtime came around without any out-of-the-ordinary hitches.

"Hey, she's not coming out."

"Give her time, man! God, you're such a wuss!"

The girl's smile went unseen in her pitch-black prison. Oh, yes, she could escape at any time, but that didn't mean she planned on giving those boys a show. If they wanted to witness her "freaky powers" that badly, they were in for a long stake out.

Kagome leaned back with an exasperated sigh, bumping her knee hard against an empty mop bucket while listening to her captor's petty bickering outside. She knew they would get tired eventually, all bullies did, and then leave to search for an easier target. It was all a battle of wills now. Experience taught her that lesson the hard way.

Hours seemed to tick by. The bored teen was just beginning to feel the first inklings of claustrophobia when she heard the muted sound of school bells.

"Uh, lunch is over guys--- I don't think she's coming out," the more timid of the bunch stuttered.

"Then go run on to class, chicken shit! She's not gonna last much longer anyway."

These guys sure were persistent! Kagome felt hot, her breath starting to come out in short, labored spurts. She wanted--- no, needed more air! But she couldn't let them win. There'd be no end in sight if she did.

"Aw, man! We're gonna get in so much trouble!"

"Shut up!"

"God! Somebody tell me why did we bring this pussy along with us?!"

"HEY! What do you creeps think you're doing?!" a strong female voice interrupted.

Sango! An overpowering wave of relief washed over Kagome at the sound of her best friend's voice. She tried to stand up, but only managed to crash into multiple broom handles painfully for her effort.

"Well, well--- it's our little mutant lover!" the most obnoxious group member sneered. "So what're gonna do about it sweetie? I might be willing to give you some small favors if you suck it out of me."

His lewd comment was accompanied by collective snickers.

"Oh, I'm sure my boyfriend would be more than happy to oblige," she responded with a syrupy sweet tone. "I find that whole fettish thing kinda weird, though. What's so great about having your balls torn off and sucked through a black hole, anyway? Oh well, Miroku seems to really enjoy it, especially when I'm involved."

"Man! That bitch's crazy!"

The closet captive found herself hard-pressed not to giggle as slippers slapping tile noisily gave away their mad dash. Seconds later, Kagome threw her arms up as a sudden bright light nearly blinded her.

"I thought something was up when you didn't show for lunch," Sango sighed, offering her blinking friend a helping hand. Kagome accepted gratefully.

"Thanks, Sango-chan. Those guys were too persistent for their own good," she lifted the sleeve of her left arm to reveal a nasty red mark where she fell. Ouch. That one was going to leave a pretty nasty bruise.

"Kagome-chan," the girl in question peered sideways into Sango's concerned eyes. "Why do you let them do that to you? You should have just walked out--- you don't need to take that kind of crap from scum like them."

"I know," Kagome huffed, turning to face her friend fully with an empathetic grimace. "It's just--- it's the only way I can really fight back and still keep a clean conscience."

Maroon orbs widened as the weary teen turned away from their owner.

"I think--- I'll just head home now. I'm very tired. Not like the teachers here take attendance for me anyway."

"Kagome-chan," Sango whispered sadly at her retreating back.

----------

Finally, Kagome ascended the final step, officially entering the shrine proper. She stopped to catch her breath. Relief filled her over reaching safe ground, only to be shadowed by the impending reality that her mother would demand a viable excuse for coming home so early from school. The teenager slapped heavy hands over bleary eyes and groaned. The day had already taken a toll and it wasn't even half past noon.

"Oi, Kagome! I thought you had to go to that school place all day."

Fingers parted reluctantly to reveal an irate youkai: voluminous red sleeves tied back, dusty sky blue bandanna covering his ears, and apparently caught in the act of sweeping. Kagome briefly wondered how on earth her mother got the stubborn boy to cooperate, before deciding she was thoroughly too exhausted to care. Speaking of which---

"Inuyasha, I don't see Mama around. Is she inside?"

"No, she left. Said something about errands--- like I care when she comes and goes," he groused, eyeing the teen girl scrupulously. Whatever the older Higurashi said (or did) seemed to still be in effect.

"Whatever," Kagome waved aside his customary rudeness. "I wasn't feeling well so I came home from school. Tell Mama that when you see her," she brushed past him, heading toward the house. God, both arm and head were really killing her!

"Tell her yourself! I'm not some messenger boy!" he fumed as she lifted her hand in a half-hearted salute, shutting the front door behind afterwards. Twitching ears seemed fit to pour steam any moment. How--- how dare she! How dare she dismiss him like that!

Throwing the broom down with an angry clack against stone, Inuyasha stomped after her. Damned if he wasn't going to give at least one of these women a piece of his mind! The thought of doing so with the elder brought up memories of that morning, sending a slew of icy shivers down his spine. But the supernatural youth felt right at home arguing with Kagome. He slammed open the front door, heard his target rummaging through the kitchen, and proceeded to march down the hall in typical snit fashion.

"Oi, wench! I wasn't done with---"

He stepping into the kitchen and all insults died on his tongue.

Kagome stood before an open freezer, loading ice cubes into an unzipped plastic bag with a spare dishtowel wrapped around the bottom. Her warm brown grew large, fearful, as she followed his amber stare to her rolled up sleeve.

To the vivid red mark marring the skin on her bicep.

She nearly panicked. What if Inuyasha told her mother? Oh, Kagome was sure the woman had some idea of the daily torment her daughter endured by now, but that didn't mean the girl wished to validate all her uncertain worries. What Mama didn't know couldn't hurt her after all.

"Kagome?"

Hastily, she pulled the loose sleeve of her t-shirt down, finished her makeshift ice pack, and turned to leave. The young mutant paused when she reached Inuyasha, raising her chin to meet his golden gaze directly. The youkai almost reeled from the sheer emotional force her eyes assaulted him with.

"Please," she whispered, and in her words he heard his own eerie child-like voice. "Please don't tell Mama. I was feeling a bit sick and decided to come home early today. Nothing more. Right?"

"Right," Inuyasha somehow answered around the forming lump in his throat.

"Thank you," she flashed him a genuine smile before dashing upstairs with her load, leaving him alone to ruminate in the kitchen.

Poor Inuyasha's mind was definitely in turmoil. He hated to admit it, but seeing Kagome bruised had left him deeply unsettled. Self-defense mechanisms immediately kicked in, taking him back to that day---

He was running through the woods, trying to put as much distance between himself and that dreaded place, chest constricting painfully at the thought of what had just occurred.

Kikyou betrayed him.

The one person since his mother's death that had actually given a damn. She had promised to live with him, a promise which lay littered across their favorite clearing like broken glass. And, though he denied it stubbornly, that unfulfilled promise hurt more than anything else.

Inuyasha decided right then that he didn't need anybody. He would become the hardened youkai he always wanted to be, wild and free; never again ensnared by the weakness of human attachment. Yes, he was better off on his own.

But, as Inuyasha stood in a twenty-first century tile floor kitchen, he couldn't stop a single image from floating through the shoddily patched cracks on his inner walls: Kagome, facing him. Sporting the brightest smile he'd ever seen.

Sleeve rolled up to display a spreading red stain on her upper arm.

----------

A/N: Well that's it for chapter 8--- and no evil cliffhanger either! I plan to churn out at least a few more chaps before con season hits late spring and most of my attention gets devoted to cosplay. Next chapter shouldn't take nearly so long to post, hopefully. Thanks for reading!


	10. Outcast

A/N: I apologize profusely for this horribly late update. I really have no excuse. On the upside, we've finally begun to delve into my original plot (I've been waiting since I started this fic to write that last confrontation scene). Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha or the X-Men universe.

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Chapter 9: Outcast

By Kenkaya

"Yeah! It's Sunday!"

Kagome flung a tired arm over her face, releasing an irritated groan as she tried (in vain) to block out Souta's heavy footsteps dashing down the hall. Craning her neck, she cracked a bleary eye open at the luminous red numbers on her alarm clock. 7:54 reflected off the surface of unresponsive retinas. She let her eyelid fall shut, muttering obscenities under her breath that would have made even Inuyasha sputter for a decent comeback. Didn't the brat know making this much noise in the morning was detrimental to his health?

Socked feet skidded to a halt just outside her door and Kagome immediately began her usual mental chant: she would not kill her brother, Mama might get mad; she would not kill her brother. Silence greeted her ears instead of the expected ruckus. The relieved girl barely had time to sigh when excited banging started on the door directly across from hers.

"Inu-no-niichan! It's Sunday! We don't have to go to school today!"

Brown eyes shot wide open. With an energy not possible mere seconds ago, Kagome leapt out of bed, scurried across her room, and flung the door open to tell her brother off before Inuyasha woke up and felt the urge to deal more physical damage than she would.

"What'd you want, kid?"

Kagome stared dumbfound at the scene in front of her. Inuyasha was leaning casually against the doorway, hair slightly sleep-ruffled, and peering down at Souta with an alert, vaguely curious expression. The boy under scrutiny simply gazed up in pure hero-worship awe.

"It's Sunday. That means me and neechan get to stay home today. I can help out now!" the child practically oozed glee. Amber eyes blinked twice in response before flicking up to take in the disarrayed girl standing just behind his morning guest. Intrigued over what could possibly divert his idol's attention, Souta bent backwards to peg his older sister with an inquisitive, upside-down look.

"Oh, neechan… you're up already? Don't you like to sleep in on Sundays?"

Her befuddled state transformed immediately upon hearing his deliberately innocent question. Metaphysical fire exploded. Bare floorboards trembled beneath their feet as the very earth quaked in fear of the flames currently engulfing an enraged entity once known as Kagome Higurashi. Somewhere across the galaxy; far, far away… the massive wave of her ire bounced off a distant newborn star, snuffing out its premature existence with brute force. The universe was now fearfully aware Kagome had been woken up early on a Sunday morning. There would be Hell to pay.

"And. just _who's_ fault. Do. You think. That is?" she enunciated sharply. Souta had enough presence of mind to shutter.

"Uh… I guess I should have been a little more quiet…? Sorry?" he began to tip-toe backwards, _very_ slowly.

"Oh, are you?" a single, jerked footstep fell forward, sounding the knell of his doom. The boy 'eep'ed once and bolted desperately back to his room.

"It won't happen again! I swear!" he called over retreating shoulders, slamming the bedroom door safely shut behind him. Kagome sighed, anger deflating now that it's subject was out of sight, and turned back to face her remaining audience with a dim expression. Inuyasha had wisely stepped back during the whole ordeal (a tactic gleaned from former experience,) opting to survey disaster from a respectable distance instead. She blinked at the apprehensive figure, arms typically folded and face plastered with his usual neutral scowl.

"What are you doing up so earl… early?" Kagome got out between yawns. How someone could look so… _awake_ at this ungodly hour was beyond her comprehension. Inuyasha merely shrugged.

"I almost always get up by dawn. The only reason I was asleep the first morning when your brother came in was 'cause I'd just been released from that damn spell and had a long night."

"Oh," the girl nodded before her head shot up suddenly, eyes narrowed dangerously as she lifted a single, accusatory finger. "Hey! You were sleeping the next day when I came up to show you the videos!"

"Don't flatter yourself," he snorted with a cocky grin. "I was just napping. Remember, you guys were making all that noise earlier."

"Well then," Kagome huffed, unwilling to admit defeat. "If you're such a happy early bird, feel free to stay up and greet the sun. I'm going back to bed!" she turned around and stomped back to her room in an overdramatic fashion.

"Feh, pathetic lazy human."

Her foot paused in midair over the threshold. Kagome's entire body cranked through a military-stiff about face, eyes shooting icy daggers toward the smug boy lounging haughtily behind.

"What did you call me?" she spoke with the same low tone that had sent Souta cowering earlier. Unfortunately, she now faced a person who not only enjoyed a good argument, but happened to be feeding off her present ire as well.

"You heard me," he scoffed, completely disregarding her fury. "What's the matter, wench? Got nothing to say in the face of truth, do you?"

"Oh, I have plenty to say to you, alright!" she fumed. "And… for the last time, what did I say about CALLING ME THAT?"

"Smells like your mother's cooking something," Inuyasha abruptly changed the subject. With mocking grace, he side-stepped the angry teenager and bounded toward the stairwell, throwing back a parting insult for good measure.

"Wouldn't be too lazy about going down for breakfast if I were you. There might not be anything left past noon!"

Facial muscles twitched in volatile fashion as she watched the tips of his cute pointed ears disappear down the stairs, mouth flapping mutely despite her best efforts. Finally (several long seconds later) almost intelligible sound emerged, somehow managing to form recognizable syllables along the way.

"That… that… ARRGAH!"

Kagome gave up trying to be articulate and spun around dramatically before realizing (much to her chagrin) that she was far too worked up to fall back asleep. Grumbling once more like a hardened sailor, she trudged after her most recent source of annoyance, figuring the least she could do was satisfy her empty stomach… if nothing else.

Freshly cooked bacon and eggs filled the air with a pungent aroma as she descended the stairs, a slight smile managing to break through her rage. Ever since she could remember, Mama had always prepared a large Western style breakfast on Sunday mornings. It was a family tradition held dear and near amidst unpredictable times. Fleetingly, she wondered what Inuyasha would think of it.

Just before reaching the last step, Kagome suddenly realized what today also meant. Exactly one week had passed since Inuyasha woke from his enchanted slumber. She shook her head wistfully at the thought. He was foul-mouthed, stubborn, down right rude… and somehow managed to turn her already abnormal life upside-down. Kagome was dead certain she had never met anyone more infuriating nor argued as much with a single person in her entire life.

And yet, a tentative hand brushed the now yellow bruise under her left sleeve, he had shown genuine understanding (dare she say kindness?) seemingly at odds with his abrasive nature. Wednesday afternoon alone was proof of that.

She remembered how her mother had returned that day to find her home early, sprawled atop pink bed sheets and stashing the ice-pack hurriedly under her pillow. Upon inquiry, she pleaded ill (not even bothering to act through exhaustion) and the worried mother, likewise, didn't bother masking disbelief over such a convenient excuse. Their battle of wills ensued from there, a tactic Kagome utterly despised, but on this subject she remained firmly resolved. It was enough Souta suffered because of her; Mama didn't need the added burden of her teenage angst.

Inuyasha, surprisingly enough, had been the one who came to her rescue. His casual comment of, "why's Kagome's scent off?" from the doorway stopped Higurashi's pestering, though the woman hardly seemed satisfied. Kagome herself was touched beyond words. Sure, she had asked him to go along with her story, but for him to actually help cover-up was much more than she expected.

Then there was the look he gave after her mother departed. It wasn't exactly overwhelming or emotional, merely a reserved expression that strangely assured she wasn't alone. That he _knew_. Kagome found herself wondering (not for the first time) just what his life had been like before.

She tilted sideways, leaning her uninjured shoulder against the wall as earlier thoughts and speculations returned en masse. Youkai features aside, Inuyasha easily fit the stereotypical, troubled kid archetype. Even Miroku and Sango, at first, pegged him as one of the many teenage mutant runaways now wandering Tokyo's back alleys. Kagome couldn't help ruminating over the implications those comparisons gave, leaving her with a sense of hopelessness. What kind of future could she hope for in a stagnant, prejudice world like this?

"Wow! This stuff's great! What's it called?"

"That's bacon, dear. Its good isn't it?"

Kagome chuckled softly at Inuyasha's loud exclamation from the kitchen. Pushing herself off the wall, she walked toward the sound, repressing all negative thoughts as she usually did to shield her family.

"Morning, Mama," Kagome greeted upon entering. Her attention immediately landed on the supernatural entity, scarfing down unhealthy amounts of food at the table, before quickly turning away to feign disinterest. She wasn't mad anymore, but that didn't mean she'd forgiven him quite yet.

"Oh… good morning, sweetheart. You're up early for a Sunday, aren't you?" the woman said, directing a beaming smile toward her daughter.

"Yeah… no thanks to Souta and the grouch over there," the teen grumbled, taking an empty seat. Inuyasha glared over his plate at the word "grouch," but returned to tearing ravenously through strips of pig meat soon afterwards. He was clearly on a mission. Briefly, Kagome wondered if a carnivorous creature existed on earth that wouldn't bend over backwards for the taste of bacon. Inuyasha proceeded to shove a whole piece into his month. Probably not.

"Well, everything's all ready, Kagome… I just need to fry up the eggs. Would you like one or two today?" Higurashi inquired from her place by the stove.

"Just one's fine. Scrambled, please."

"Coming right up!"

A fragrant sizzle followed her mother's enthusiastic chirp. Kagome propped her elbows on the polished tabletop, gazing almost stupefied as Inuyasha literally licked his plate clean and called eagerly for more.

"Just how many helpings have you had anyway?" the girl asked in amazement.

"Not sure," he shrugged casually. "Four, I think."

"Wow," she whistled. "Talk about a bottomless pit."

"So, what plans have you two made for today?" Higurashi-san chimed in. She set two steaming platters in front of the children before pulling up a third chair for herself.

"Mm… I'm not sure," Kagome answered through a mouthful of eggs. "I guess we could always watch more movies, although Inuyasha's seen most of the ones worth seeing already."

"You call that a plan? That's exactly what I've been doing all week! That, chores, and reading the damn book," he groused. They both ignored him, continuing their conversation as if the youkai had never interrupted.

"Well, I was thinking honey," the older woman paused as if deliberating her next choice of words. "You officially have the day off… so why not take Inuyasha-kun shopping for some more clothes later?"

"I don't know, Mama," Kagome swallowed before finishing, a slight frown beginning to crease her features. "It might not be such a good idea to take him out yet."

"I am right here, you know!" Inuyasha slammed open palms against the table, finally gaining their attention. He silenced any conceivable outbursts (mainly a threat from the youngest' lips) with furious amber eyes. "I've seen what the world looks like outside. Souta watches the T.V. a lot when I'm around and you," he nodded to Higurashi, "turn on that news almost every night. I know what to expect… did you think I was just sitting around dumb this whole time?"

"No… that's not… I mean," Kagome balked at his offended tone. Guilt washed over her at the realization of what she'd just done; after all, she knew first-hand what it felt like when others talked around you in third-person.

"What's the matter then?" the youkai challenged. "Think I can't handle it?"

"No! I don't… well," her cheeks flushed brilliantly: embarrassment replacing earlier shame. "I guess we could do that… I mean, if you want to?"

"Are you kidding!" Inuyasha whooped, something the startled girl had never seen him do. "You've kept me cooped up here all week! I'm just about ready to break down the walls of this damn house!"

"Well, I appreciate your restraint, Inuyasha-kun," Higurashi smiled warmly at her handiwork. She was very proud of her subtle contribution, not to mention the children for getting through a mildly important subject without incident. But, as another petty fight broke out on cue, she realized respite would never last with those two. Inuyasha and Kagome's initial attraction, which was painfully obvious to the wary mother upon first sight, had built up a whole week's worth of pressure; and she knew (from personal experience) that the tension between them would only get worse before it got better.

"I'm not wearing any women's clothing and that's final!"

"Oh for the love of… a unisex baseball cap hardly qualifies as 'women's clothing.' I was just saying it might look a little better than wearing a rag over your head…"

_Ah, young love_, Higurashi held back sigh. Longingly, she remembered her late husband's own awkward courtship, riddled with misunderstandings, tears, and bungled apologies. How many times had she been found seeking solace under Goshimboku after similar arguments during her schoolgirl days? The woman almost giggled giddily, realizing she'd lost count ages ago. _My, how time flies_.

"But you said one of yours! You're a woman and your clothes _are_ women's clothing!"

The incessant yelling broke her nostalgic moment.

"Inuyasha… would you just take a look at it _before_ you make up your stubborn mind?!"

"Well… I suppose that settles that, then," Higurashi interrupted with a final clap of her hands. "You two should head upstairs and get ready soon. And do you think one of you could check on Souta for me while you're at it? It's strange… usually he's the first one out of bed on Sundays."

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"Stay on the sidewalk, Inuyasha!"

A disrespectful grumble answered Kagome's warning shout, intended effect ruined as the boy hopped obediently back onto the curb. Right on cue, a candy apple red sports car (going at least twenty miles above speed limit) zoomed down the previously quiet residential street. Inuyasha followed the vehicle with saucer-sized eyes as it performed a sharp, screeching left-hand turn and sped out of sight.

"Hey, Kagome! Did you see how fast that thing was going?! And that turn! That maneuverability… and those speeds… the control that's gotta take…" his singular audience began tuning out at this point, fervently thanking whatever God was listening that there were no convenient bystanders to witness the boy's antics. At least he was wearing modern clothes now, and she'd finally gotten him to approve of the old periwinkle baseball cap collecting dust in her closet. Naturally, it had taken nearly half an hour fighting to accomplish that.

"That was incredible! How do you get one of those things?"

"Like a kid in a candy store… I swear," the girl muttered, ignoring Inuyasha's subsequent dirty look. She slumped under the pressure of an exaggerated sigh, wondering what part of her brain had the audacity to assume this was a good idea. Apparently, she needed to have it checked for possible damage.

"It's not a 'thing,' Inuyasha. We call them cars and I wouldn't even _think_ of getting one now if I were you."

"Why? Don't think I could handle that, either?" he challenged, arms folded characteristically over his grey t-shirt. Kagome was fairly certain those adorable ears were twitching furiously behind the rim of his hat too.

"It's not like that at all," she spoke consolingly. "Look, cars are very expensive… and I really don't feel like going into all the technicalities of driving tests and records… or maintenance, so let's just say it's complicated and leave at that."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever," he said with a disbelieving snort.

"See? This is exactly why we argue so much," she marched up to wag an accusatory finger in his face. He instinctively leaned back at her close proximity. "You take everything I say the wrong way and then, when I try to explain myself, you do it again. I'll get frustrated, we'll both blow up at each other, yadda yadda… so, what do say we skip the routine for once and just keep walking to the store?"

"Hey! You started… it," Inuyasha's comeback sputtered to an ungraceful halt as Kagome breezed pass him, much like he had done to her earlier that morning. She skipped ahead blithely while he stood blinking in confusion at their blatant role reversal.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" she teased, drawing out the last syllable on a sing-song note.

His precious pride bucked wildly from the blow of her dismissive phrase. The… the nerve of… she didn't even bothered slowing down to deliver that one! Fists clenching compulsively, he stomped forward: determined (as always) to have the last word.

"Hey you! Come back and say that to my face!"

Kagome giggled, the weight of her pursuer's heavy footsteps considerably lessened by the methodical flip-flop of shoes he had grudgingly adorned before their outing. Now that battle (immediately following the legendary hat debate) had been a real challenge! Nothing out of all their previous fights could have possibly prepared her for the sheer vehemence with which her houseguest protested wearing footwear of any kind. In the end, combined effort of both mother and daughter were needed to finally force Inuyasha into her father's old, lazy slip-ons.

Though amusing in hindsight, the whole ordeal had actually been a veritable nightmare. Kagome figured he must have used every synonym under the Japanese sun for 'no' during his long tirade. She suppressed a shutter thinking about the Hell it would take to impose sneakers on him. Still, despite his obvious discomfort, she had to admit being thankful for his slowed movement due to them at the moment.

"Oi!"

The girl had absolutely no intention of stopping; she was having far too much fun delivering his comeuppance. With a playful hair flick, she spared him one more backward glance, and turned onto the next commercial street without a second thought.

In days to come, Inuyasha would curse himself for lacking caution right then: for stupidly losing his senses in the wake of petty anger. He had been able to smell growing numbers of people over a block back, alongside a substantial increase in what he learned later was the rank odor of car exhaust. He remembered the rising grind and bustle of city life reverberating through capped ears long before his pursuit began. There had been no excuse. Still, he burst blindly out into the thorough-way, mind stubbornly set on capturing his prey.

Television, he soon realized, couldn't have possibly prepared him for this.

Inuyasha immediately dug his heels into hard asphalt, receiving rough jostles and more than a few unsavory words for his effort. Warm bodies pressed in from all sides. Everywhere, the stink of sweat, chemicals, and anxiety bombarded him. The heat became almost unbearable as more flesh collided with his carefully guarded person, popping the reclusive youkai's wide bubble of personal space like a tidal wave of needles. Overwhelmed, his pupils dilated to mere slits until seasoned survival instincts kicked in, sweeping the area: looking for a subject, a focus… anything. All he saw were flashing lights and towering glass.

Then the sound hit him. A car horn blared loudly to his left, followed by another and another, creating a cacophonous chorus seemingly conjured to torture the senses. The all-compassing grumble of machinery, the crackle of live electricity above, and multiple conversations, fusing together into an indecipherable buzz, drilled a migraine-induced hole through the poor boy's skull. He wanted to lift his hands, block out the offensive noise… but remained stone still instead, warring with his preceding urge to swipe energy-laced claws full-circle. To drive away anyone who dared touch him. Caught between demands, his body refused to move. Inuyasha felt cornered, violated, and (for the first time since childhood) utterly helpless to take any action against it.

_Find Kagome._

The solution, so simply yet telling, jolted his nerves with a much needed adrenaline shock. Head swiveling like a bobble, he scanned the masses, moving from one impassive face to the next with dwindling hope. There were just too many. The youkai's frantic movement slowed before finally ceasing altogether, their features beginning to blur into one another as they moved on in an endless sea of rhythm. He wanted to punch out his frustration against the ground. Population density of this magnitude was almost inconceivable where he came from. Scent, his ultimate pride, was no help amidst this throng of chaos. How could so many people fit on one street?

_Find me, Kagome._

His chin snapped up on impulse, or perhaps a generous twist of fate. He spotted the familiar green shade of her top and, as if summoned, she materialized through the flesh bars of his nightmarish prison. Her brow was furrowed, he noted absently, lips pursed in an expression that (the youkai was too pre-occupied to be surprised) mirrored concern. He blocked out everything but her face: memorizing each worried crease, every sun-tanned freckle, the way both natural and artificial light played off her skin tones…

"Inuyasha?"

He didn't respond. Gradually, his breath was slowing down, returning to normal as much needed calm trickled into his brain. She frowned. Why was she frowning, he wondered? A tentative hand snaked forward to clasp his roughened one imploringly.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

"Ye… yes," he managed to gasp, eyes still boring into her. Inuyasha refused to let her go. If he did, the boy knew without a doubt he would lose himself again.

Kagome's scowl deepened. Suddenly, she turned her head and they began to move. Inuyasha recovered quickly from a startled stumble, his focus concentrated on their intertwined hands as she maneuvered him through the overwhelming crowd at a brisk pace. His eyes traced the groves outlining their tangled fingers: marveling at how small and soft hers were compared to his. At how she held his, clawed and calloused, so casually.

Like there was nothing awkward or wrong about the gesture.

Hours seemed to pass as they threaded through numerous people (though, in actuality, it was probably less than forty seconds) before they finally broke through, the empty side street an unadulterated blessing to Inuyasha's state of mind. The sounds still rang loudly through his ears and the stench had barely faded from this vantage point, but at least _here_ he was free from the mind-numbing crush. Now, more than ever, the displaced youth found himself missing the quiet, open woods of his past.

"I… I'm sorry, Inuyasha… that was thoughtless of me."

Kagome's apology startled him out of his revere. Swiftly, she slipped her hand free, taking a nervous step forward with head bowed slightly, dark bangs shadowing any emotion that might have shown. Inuyasha merely stared at her stiff posture, waiting for her to continue, but soon realized in the tense silence she had nothing else to say. He would have to end their stalemate.

"What the Hell are you sorry for, wench?"

Her jaw tightened visibly at his tactless way of breaking the ice, but the young mutant didn't berate him. Instead, she decided to give an honest answer.

"I should have been more careful," Kagome spoke cautiously, not wanting to offend. "I was afraid something like this might happen and still I… I didn't think."

"Feh!"

The indignant snort jogged her reflexes. Kagome's face jerked upwards, exposing Inuyasha to the raw guilt she felt. Still, he held his ground, determined that she (of all people) would have no further cause to pity him.

"I don't know what you're yapping about, woman. I can handle myself fine… just 'cause I was a little surprised don't let that fool you," he stomped forward, bending down until they were practically nose to nose. Kagome leaned back with a light flush. Inuyasha, amidst his pride-fueled tirade, seemed unaffected.

"Besides, I'm the one who wanted to go out today. I ran out there of my own free will. There's nothing for you to be sorry for. Stop whining and see sense!"

A brief flash of anger coursed through her before the under-current of his harsh words finally hit home. The barest hint of a smile teased her lips at his completely hopeless attempt at consolation. She nodded curtly.

"Yeah… Is that so? Well then, what are we waiting for? I'm sure there's a store somewhere up this way," and, on that note, she continued onwards.

Inuyasha's only response was to 'feh' softly as he followed her (sulking) across the street.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

Shopping with Inuyasha proved, amazingly enough, to be rather uneventful in comparison.

"This one."

Kagome blinked blandly at whatever article had just been shoved millimeters from her nose. Uneventful, yes; a frustrating ordeal due to the demonic boy's blatant lack of manners… that was another story entirely.

"Well?" he waved the object impatiently, nearly smacking her forehead with it in the process.

She sighed wearily, taking a significant stride back as, what turned out to be a black and red baseball cap, flapped expectantly. Kagome gave it a customary once over before nodding her approval.

"That's fine, Inuyasha. Just throw it in the cart with the rest."

He did so without even uttering a grudging word of thanks. She shook her head, use to his dismissive behavior by now and figuring her loud opinions were best reserved for… less public places. The store may have been relatively empty, but causing a scene still didn't seem like a very good idea. Especially since the security guard was already eyeing Inuyasha's outlandish appearance warily.

They spun around the next aisle (Inuyasha grumbling for the umpteenth time how slippery "these gods-be-damned shoes" were against linoleum,) and Kagome couldn't help feeling relieved over temporarily being out of the uniformed man's sight. She was far from ashamed of herself, or Inuyasha for that matter, but she'd take hiding behind rows of shoeboxes over dealing with suspicious anti-mutant sentiment any day.

Though, truth be told, Kagome dreaded being kicked out more than facing any obvious, discriminatory views. They were lucky enough to have found this store in the first place, and she didn't fancy wandering around nearly twenty minutes (again), avoiding every major thorough-way like the plague until they managed to stumble across another discount store in a small strip mall off the beaten track. The poor girl wasn't sure her sanity could take that abuse.

"Gyak! More of these damn things!"

Kagome suppressed an amused giggle at the boy's reaction upon opening one of the stacked shoeboxes for further examination. He may be rude, she thought wryly, but at least you could count on him to always speak his mind.

"You do realize you're going to need at least one pair, don't you, Inuyasha?" she hinted not-so-subtly. "Most stores won't let you inside without them, and besides… pavement isn't exactly kind to bare feet. Mark my words, once summer really kicks in you'll be begging for footwear of any kind."

"Doubt it," he snorted back. "I've done just find without 'em til now, haven't I?! You humans really have the stupidest notions. Shoes," the exclamation was followed by a demeaning headshake. "All they do is add dead weight to your feet and make you clumsy! No wonder humans can barely walk straight or run properly! Regular pain in the ass if you ask me."

"Good thing I wasn't asking, then, isn't it?"

"You as good as did! Claiming things like that… I'll never _ever_ beg for shoes. Why don't you mark those words while you're at it."

"Yeah, sure… whatever," Kagome muttered flippantly as she walked onward, sneaking a pair of black, open-toed loafers in with their growing pile of items. Inuyasha wasn't blind to her incriminating act, but decided, for the moment, to keep his peace on the subject. Let her buy them; the minx could wear them herself after he taught her nobody, _nobody_ (here his memory opted to be purposely selective) forced Inuyasha to do anything he didn't want to.

"Let's see… do we need anything else? Shoes, hat, sunglasses, underwear," she blushed a bit but continued her list without missing a beat. "A couple bandanas, pair of jeans, sweatpants, t-shirts," _all red_, she added with a mental eye roll. He had picked them out himself and, she couldn't help wondering, if it was his favorite color or if the time traveler was merely clinging to some sort of familiarity. His feudal outfit was red too, after all.

"What are we still here for, woman? Are you gonna buy the whole store?"

"Nope! That should just about do it!" Kagome chirped as she ducked hurriedly into an available checkout line. She'd caught the security guard approaching from the corner of her eye and figured they had finally overstayed their welcome. Inuyasha followed dutifully behind.

"I don't like the way that guy's been lookin' at us," he muttered for her ears only. She cocked her head slightly, displaying a small, sardonic smile.

"You and me both," she whispered back.

A bored-looking teenager greeted Kagome in a scripted manner as they walked up to the register. He seemed cordial enough (through the apathy) until his gaze fell on Inuyasha. Even with his ears hidden, the youkai features still visible stuck out like a sore thumb. The skinny boy behind the counter glared hatefully before grabbing the nearest object roughly and sliding it across the scanner. Kagome scowled openly before coming to a quick decision.

"Inuyasha, why don't you go wait outside? This won't take long," she hissed through grinding teeth. The boy in question turned to face her, an indignant retort ready on his lips, but his intent died with one look at her dark expression. Despite outward appearances, Inuyasha wasn't always dense, and he was well aware of the cashier's reaction to his presence. What was the harm, he reasoned guiltily, in humoring her just a bit?

"Fine, all the nasty smells and dust in here are about to make me gag, anyway," that didn't mean he had to act nice about it, though.

"I'll meet up with you in a minute," she smiled weakly as he departed. The petulant youkai allowed himself the decency of a backwards parting gesture in return.

Once outside, Inuyasha leaned against an available wall with folded arms, his patented "piss off" look scaring away any bystanders who might have been foolish enough to approach him (that annoying security guard among them.) His anger wasn't completely unprovoked, however. Through the glass door he could hear Kagome's voice, yelling heatedly, her exact words lost between the muffling effect of his hat and the continuous rumble of cars on the street. The content hardly mattered, anyway. Her raised tone was enough to force a snarl from him.

Really, what kind of a weakling did she take him for? The world never showed him mercy in the past and he took pride in his ability to survive against-the-odds. She seemed to have understood that much. So why did the girl sent him away like a child to be defended out of earshot? A volatile growl began to vibrate through his chest, bouncing off the diaphragm. As if his ego hadn't received enough bruising since he woke.

The growl died abruptly when the voices stopped. Kagome appeared moments later, laden with two large, full-to-bursting bags. Her expression was calm, he noted, though still flushed cheeks drastically undermined the effect.

"Well?" she stopped barely a foot away, cocking her head to peer expectedly at his up-turned face. He glared back in kind.

"What?" the irritable boy finally snapped after several seconds' silence. Her open stare was beginning to unnerve him.

"Well what? Aren't you going to offer?" she shook her cargo lightly for emphasis. Inuyasha's only response to the teenager's innocuous request was an upturned nose.

"Why would I carry _your_ bags?" he scoffed, refusing (in his mind's-eye) to take any more orders. "You're the one who bought all of it. I didn't ask for nothing!"

"Right… of course you didn't," she deadpanned. "Oh well, if you're going to be that way about it," Kagome let the sentence trail ominously before tossing the contents against his chest and quickly skipping ahead. Inuyasha caught the bundle reflexively.

"Hey!" he said. "That was a cheap shot!"

"All's fair," she shouted back in singsong. The girl paused abruptly as something across the parking lot caught her eye. "Actually hold that thought… I'll be right back."

"Like I have a choice."

Inuyasha watched as she ran inside a small shop smelling strongly of food and several chemicals he witnessed Higurashi-san using to clean the house. Leaning back against his former place on the wall, he frowned, some of the old anger rousing as he found himself back in a depressingly identical predicament. He hated it: how dependent he'd become on her. Their outing was supposed to be a sign of progress for him, a sign the multiply headaches he'd suffered over the last week had been worth something. Not the embarrassment of actually freezing in fear or the reality of being repeatedly shunted aside. This trip had definitely proved to proud youkai how helpless he was without her guidance.

"Want one?"

He blinked at the strange white bun suddenly being held in front of him. A tentative sniff informed him the concoction was stuffed with some type of meat (pork, another whiff confirmed) and a couple root vegetables he found himself hard-put to name. His gaze traveled from the offered treat, up a thin arm to the question's source. Kagome had returned while he was lost in thought apparently.

"If I did, _someone_ already made sure my hands weren't free to take it," Inuyasha replied sarcastically, jiggling the bags in mockery of her earlier gesture. He'd barely finished teasing when the handle in his right hand disappeared, only to be replaced seconds later by one of those weird buns wrapped in a small square of translucent wax paper.

"All you had to do was ask," the girl smiled innocently as she took a hearty bite from her own treat. Seeing that she had actually managed to strike her companion dumb, Kagome's smile morphed into an impish grin. She walked ahead, swinging her bag triumphantly.

Inuyasha could only shake his head in wonder at her antics. He moved to follow quickly, nibbling absently on the bun (good, he concluded, though a bit spicy for his taste) and pondered the eccentric female bouncing ahead of him.

She was, by far, the most capricious creature he'd ever had the displeasure to meet. The way she shifted from anger to happiness, to sadness and back again, still left him in awe. His own emotions had become a veritable roller coaster under her influence as well. Hadn't he been seething in anger just moments ago? Stuffing the last morsel into his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully as another (more sobering) thought occurred to him.

The last time Inuyasha could remember being so emotionally unstable was during childhood; before permanently donning the mask of self-defensive anger that had pushed away his human tormentors, and shielded him since. He had carved out his place by force, and though the loneliness was painful, his younger self took comfort in the delusion that nothing else could hurt him. Even now, he found himself subconsciously believing the lie.

But, he realized, watching the girl's back, Kagome didn't use rage. She smiled instead: an expression meant to distract from the cause, but which only looked fake the longer he stared at it. She protected herself and those around her by pretending everything was all right. The foundation was different, but the wall was the same.

"Oi!" the youkai called out, jogging a few steps to catch up. Kagome acknowledged him curiously as he fell into place beside her.

"Does," Inuyasha hesitated a moment before plowing on resolutely. "Look, I know what happened in there… don't try to deny it. And you know damn well I didn't need any of it. I can cover my own back, you just stick with watching yours."

"Whatever you say, Inuyasha," she shrugged indifferently before breaking out in giggles, muttering something under her breath. Inuyasha couldn't understand exactly what she said, but he definitely heard the phrase, "silly male-pride," somewhere amidst the gibberish.

"I don't see what's so funny," he snipped.

"It wouldn't be as funny if you did," Kagome said, smiling indulgently when her companion made a face. "But you're right, I knew you didn't need my help in there. I did it anyway because I _wanted_ to. Because you're my friend… and friends stick up for each other."

"Who said we were friends?"

Inuyasha regretted the words the instant they left his mouth. Her entire façade crumbled: allowing him brief insight into how much hurt his callous comment caused, before reinstating itself with disturbing ease. She turned away, not even bothering to grace him with a customary look as she spoke.

"I didn't know it had to be said."

The rest of the walk home was made in uncomfortable silence. Kagome fought tears by telling herself the youkai a couple steps behind didn't matter. Like the bullies at school, like the ordinary people who stared shamelessly, he could only hurt her if she let him. She pulled through just fine after betrayal by friends she had trusted for years. Compared to that, why should the spiteful words of a jerk she'd barely known a week faze her at all?

Inuyasha spent their traveling time staring holes between the girl's shoulder blades and thinking up various excuses (besides the obvious) for the faint salty scent he detected. He felt extremely guilty, but was far too proud to do anything about it. Instead, he sulked silently, trailing dutifully behind until she stopped at the shrine stairs.

"What?" he asked gruffly. At this point, Inuyasha would have done almost anything to break the tension: even start a fight.

"Could you… could you please just jump through my bedroom window and wait for me in there?" Kagome sighed at the puzzled (and slightly indignant) expression on his face. "Mama said she was bringing my grandfather home today and… well… I've told you about him, right?"

She had. Inuyasha nodded mechanically before leaving to follow her instructions. Kagome felt relief wash over her when he did so without complaint, completely unaware that, in his own roundabout way, the youkai was apologizing for earlier.

"I'm home!" she called, clicking the door shut behind her. She raised concerned eyebrows at the hurried movement and raised voices coming from the living room, but thought nothing of it until her grandfather shuffled into the front hall. His face was livid.

"You!" he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth. "There you are!"

"Dad! Wait!" a frazzled Higurashi rushed into view just as her confused daughter began to speak.

"Jiichan, what…"

"Trickster!" he screeched, completely running over her question. "Liar! Charlatan! What have you done to my granddaughter?"

"Jiichan," Kagome hedged, making placating movements as she stepped back. She was beginning to feel the first inklings of nervous fear. The old man had never acted this way toward her before.

"Dad! That's enough!" Higurashi yelled, grabbing his shoulder. "Now, Kagome sweetie, I know you haven't had a chance to get any studying done today… so why don't you head upstairs to your room while your grandfather and I discuss this matter like civilized adults."

"You… You're siding with the fake?" he asked incredulously. "That… _thing_ is not Kagome! You're her mother! You should be outraged!"

"I am trying to be patient with you," Higurashi said sternly. "I have and will continue to tolerate your old superstitions… but let me make one thing clear, _Father_, I will not let you speak about my daughter that way again!"

Kagome watched the mysterious interplay when, like an annoyingly elusive puzzle piece, the truth clicked. She gasped as the rest fell into place systematically, revealing a horrible picture that she hadn't even been aware (until this moment) was evading her.

"_I just came to tell you Mama said Jiichan wasn't feeling so good this morning so she had to drive him to the hospital…"_

"_If only he didn't spill… especially with Mariko-basan in the room…"_

_"Mariko-basan is a nurse at the hospital. Poor Kagome…"_

"_Kagome-chan… that reminds me, about your grandfather…"_

The last thing Kagome remembered was a random image of her grandfather when she was younger; he smiled warmly at her, arms open wide for his beloved granddaughter to jump into. Laughter entered the faded memory as her seven-year-old self tackled him mercilessly.

And, as she met his hateful eyes, Kagome realized she would never see that smile again.

xxxxxx

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TBC…


	11. The Chase Is On!

A/N: Another chapter… this time with an action sequence! Enjoy!

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Chapter 10: The Chase Is On!

By Kenkaya

Kagura watched the Higurashi house with a steadily decreasing sense of duty. She was crouched behind a set of bushes: long silk skirt hiked above her knees and a single sheet of folded paper her only weapon against any creepy crawlies that dared inch up her legs. New (increasingly gruesome) curses accompanied her employer's name every time she felt the need to slap her exposed calves. Kagura hated dirt, despised bugs, but most of all, she hated being ordered to sit in the middle of both without at least the benefit of knowing why.

"Zephyr? Come in," a breathy, feminine voice echoed through her earpiece. The irritated mutant sighed woefully at her completely unoriginal codename before toggling the radio switch.

"The girl walked in about ten minutes ago… it's been quiet ever since. Should I head in or would the Grand Master like me to _wait_ some more?"

There was a brief pause, then, "no. Stay in position. The time isn't quite right yet."

"And just how the Hell does he expect me to know when the right time is exactly?" the woman hissed, clearly running low on her small reservoir of patience.

"You'll know."

_Oh, of course! Silly me_, Kagura quelled the urge to snap. Their connection fizzled out as she continued to stew. _Damned insufferable, all-knowing…_

Raised voices broke through her thoughts rather suddenly. Kagura looked up to see her target slamming the front door forcefully, tears clearly visible even in the dim twilight. A sardonic smile graced her painted lips as Kagome dashed across the courtyard, disappearing down the shrine steps with an audible sob.

"Well... I'll be damned," she whispered, rising to follow the girl.

Peripheral vision registered movement from behind and she ducked quickly. The strange boy (who appeared to have jumped effortlessly out a second story window) showed no sign that he had noticed her. Still, Kagura watched with caution as he rose from his crouched landing and sprinted after the girl. She frowned, a flash of white hair teasing her as he winked out of sight. This did not bode well at all.

Kagura had immediately recognized the boy from Kouga's memorable description last week. Though his hat hid what her friend dubbed "those freaky cat ears," he fit the profile of Manten's killer to a tee. Neither human nor mutant, this creature was an anomaly- a dangerous anomaly.

Still, unknown danger paled in comparison to Naraku's anger. The emotional rampage he'd unleashed during Kouga's report was enough to leave her sleepless for days. Even after the storm had calmed, his crazy mutterings of, "he won't trust her… he won't stay" were quite disturbing. She physically shuttered at the thought of what his reaction might be to hers.

But she also knew, outstanding fear aside, that she was only delaying the inevitable. Kagura inhaled deeply, reminding herself of the bravery Kouga displayed back then to inspire her own resolve. If a teenage boy could sit through torture with dignity, she could definitely do this. With that sentiment in mind, she flicked the radio switch.

"Kanna, we have a… complication."

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

Inuyasha was a youkai on a mission.

He ran into the city alone, senses bombarded once more by the hustle and bustle. He didn't freeze this time; his focus was far too important to suffer distractions.

_Kagome…_

She needed him. Even in this foul, olfactory nightmare of a future, the salty scent of her tears was easy to track. He followed its trail determinedly, weaving between various people, remembering all she had done for him and seething over the exchange he'd just witnessed…

"_But… you… can't you see its using your motherly instincts against you? You have to fight it!"_

_Inuyasha paused in the upstairs hall. He had just left Kagome's room (where he'd been waiting impatiently before the yelling started) and immediately began second-guessing his curiosity at those harsh words. Ahead, Souta was perched on the top stair, hugging his knees tightly as he peered down through the wood railing. _

"_I won't repeat myself," Higurashi said, her tone expressing an uncharacteristic lack of patience. "And this is the last time I'll ask you to refrain from speaking that way in front of Kagome." _

"_No! I will not stop! Why can't you see that you're letting it win! Please, Rumiko, don't let that thing deceive you. Don't let it tear our family apart!" _

"_From where I'm standing, you're already doing a pretty good job yourself!"_

_Inuyasha suddenly felt stuck in a moment far too personal for his presence, yet all too sickeningly familiar. Against better judgment, he sat down beside Souta. He couldn't see Higurashi at all from his vantage point and the old man was blocked from the shoulders upward by ceiling. Only Kagome, backed up defensively against the front door, was fully visible. _

"_Mama, Jiichan… please stop," he heard Kagome plead, her voice cracking slightly._

"_And you! You have no right to speak to my daughter…"_

"Dad_!" _

"_That's enough Rumiko! I told you… I can't just stand here and let it play with your heart like this!"_

_Both boys watched with growing anxiety as Kagome began to cry. The reality of her situation (a reality Inuyasha had instinctively been aware of) was hitting the girl hard. Either she or her grandfather would have to leave. Higurashi was torn, trying to fight the inevitable, the old fool was desperately clinging to his beliefs, and Kagome couldn't change what she was. Their family would never be whole again; a choice had to be made. _

_She made it for them._

_Inuyasha jumped up as Souta gasped beside him. He didn't stay to see their reactions. He was already crossing her bedroom threshold when the door slammed downstairs. He had already climbed out the window by the time Higurashi started yelling again. _

_After a less-cautious-than-usual scan of his surroundings, the boy began his pursuit: unsure why her self-banishment bothered him so, but too single-minded to care. A long buried inner-voice told him that finding Kagome was something he just _needed_ to do. The simple reasoning was enough for now… _

He stopped in front of a dark alley, where her scent was too strong to simply be in passing. Squinting through the shadows, Inuyasha ignored the piles of grimy garbage, the rancid puddle that stank of old urine- all he saw was her: huddled on the dirty asphalt. She was sobbing violently. An image of his mother materialized briefly and he wondered why the kindhearted ones always suffered.

"Hey!"

Inuyasha stepped forward, unsure what to do but feeling like he had to do something. The girl showed no sign of having noticed him. He stood in front of her and tried again.

"Kagome."

This time, she did respond.

"Go 'way," she mumbled without lifting her head. Inuyasha scowled at the petulant tone but didn't move.

"I _said_ go away!" she yelled, emphasizing her point with a puffy, red glare. "I… I just… can't deal with you right now… please, just go away."

Silence seemed to rule the next few moments, punctuated only by an occasional sniffle. One spoken syllable shattered the illusion.

"No."

Not another word was spoken as the youkai sat down beside her. Kagome said nothing to him, though he stayed through the awkward silence. Inuyasha didn't move when she eventually leaned her head against his shoulder and continued to cry.

Because they were friends. And friends stick up for each other.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

A choked gasp echoed loudly off concrete walls as Kagura collapsed, chest muscles still spastic from the shock she'd received. Above her, Naraku seethed in soundless fury, though (she thought sarcastically) his anger was definitely felt by the messenger.

"Are you _certain_, Kagura?"

She gaped at him from her position on the cement floor. She had just returned on summons, only to be dragged downstairs into a soundproof basement for Naraku's less-than-stellar welcome. Her correspondent, Kanna, had stood by his side the entire time: watching passively. Neither had uttered a single word from start to finish. And now, after all that, he had the gall to ask if she was _certain?_

"Yes, sir. Very," she coughed and spat a globule of blood at his feet. Naraku was not amused.

"Disgusting," he drawled, not bothering to clarify which subject he was referring to. "Kanna. Keep an eye on the girl and her… companion."

"Yes, Naraku-sama," the pale girl said as she sat lotus-style. Her dark eyes flashed white briefly before her posture slackened, a sure sign that Kanna was no longer in possession of her body.

"Kagura," he spoke with the air of one granting a grand favor. The woman in question faced him defiantly. "I shall give you one more chance to resolve this. After Kanna returns, choose a team of three and go retrieve the girl. Do not disappoint me."

"What about the boy?"

"He is of no use to us," Naraku said, smiling darkly. Kagura suppressed a shiver at the implied message. She succumbed to the urge when a familiar white flicker lit the room.

"They were in an alley near Suzushu Station… now heading west," Kanna rattled off, eyes flashing as she checked out again.

"I'll be waiting, Kagura."

"Yes, sir," then, she added in a whisper, "no doubt about that."

No one noticed the heavy metal door left ajar, or the long black braid that whisked past after Kanna's second departure. Hiten grinned manically, electricity crackling across his heated skin. He was heading toward Suzushu Station. He was going to avenge Manten's death.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

"There! Do you see that?"

Kagome lifted her head from Inuyasha's now-damp shoulder, and quickly did a double take. The phantom image of a white-haired girl was slowly fading away. She blinked, rubbed her eyes- but only an empty alley greeted her perplexed vision.

"What," Kagome began, her question trailing off as realization hit. "Wait! She's using mutant powers! Is she still here?" _Watching us?_

"I don't know," Inuyasha answered, his tone apprehensive. "Whatever it is had no scent… like nothing was there at all. I don't like it."

"Me neither."

The boy rose suddenly, almost knocking her off balance in the process. She watched as he stretched (popping a couple vertebrae loudly), eyes fixed intently on the spot where the apparition disappeared. His visible nerves unsettled her even more.

"We should get moving," he said quickly, holding out his hand. "The way I see it, you're always better off safe than sorry."

Kagome looked disbelievingly at the offered hand for a moment. She may have spent most of the last hour crying on him, followed by quiet companionship once tears ran dry, but his simple gesture touched her nonetheless. She smiled shyly and took it.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

The two began walking without direction. Kagome, though she vaguely recognized where they were, felt utterly lost; she was just another homeless teen now, with no place to go and no idea what to do. Inuyasha empathized and seemed content to let her wander. He only guided her once, an urgent arm-grab which turned into a dizzying rush down several blocks. She went along without complaint, assuming correctly that he had seen the strange girl again.

"We have to decide what we're gonna do tonight," Inuyasha said once they slowed. He knew Kagome wasn't considering basic survival at the moment, so he had taken the duty upon himself. "We can't sleep out in the open and we need to find…"

"What could two corpses possibly need?" a cold, male voice interrupted. "Besides coffins, of course."

Inuyasha swore colorfully and shoved a fear-frozen Kagome behind him. He glanced up toward the source: a thin man standing on top of a two-story building. The intruder's stance seemed nonchalant, but the air crackled tensely around him, setting both their hairs (literally) on end.

"Who're you?" the youkai demanded gruffly. The man didn't respond at first. Instead, he stepped off the building ledge, and slid down smoothly through the air. His eyes glowed a menacing red.

"I guess it's only fair," he said once he landed. Asphalt splintered beneath his feet as if under enormous pressure. "Even a murderer has the right to know the name of his executioner. I am Hiten… perhaps you remember my little brother? Manten?"

Hiten grinned sadistically at his opponent's confused expression.

"No? Let me refresh your memory then."

Without further warning, a bolt of lightening shot out from his pointer fingers, striking the unprepared youkai directly in the chest. Inuyasha flew backwards, the oomph of rapidly expelled air the only sound he made before hitting pavement. The alley reeked of burnt hair and flesh.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed from the ground. The force of Hiten's attack had pushed her flat on her rear. Pebbles dug painful into her palms.

"Huh… that was disappointing," Hiten commented. "I expected the creature who murdered my brother to be more of a challenge."

"Inuyasha," she repeated as if in a daze. He didn't move. The girl stood quickly, wobbling a bit for her effort, and ran toward his prone form.

"Not so fast, girl."

She turned around, just in time to see Hiten float several inches off the ground and speed through the air. His movements reminded her strongly of a surfer; in fact, had she been in a clearer (less panicked) state of mind, Kagome might have realized he actually was surfing on electric currents. She watched doe-like as he approached, the uncomfortable sensation of static shock sweeping across her entire body.

When trying to recall the confrontation later, Kagome would worry herself almost sick over how the next few seconds seemed to disappear. One moment, Hiten was rushing head-on toward her, then, his fingers were clutching her wrist in a painfully hot grip. She never remembered him actually grabbing her.

"I'll deal with you later… when I'm done with the _thing_ over there," he said with a sneer. "See you in the morning, sweet cheeks."

Everything tingled. Blood burned under her skin and florescent shadows tainted her vision. Kagome didn't think: she needed to get away, she wanted to survive… that was all that mattered. Purely on instinct, she tapped into her phasing powers, feeling the shift of her molecules more keenly than ever before. Hiten pumped electricity into her as she slipped through his grasp, setting her nervous system on fire. She solidified briefly while her nerves convulsed. The feel of her molecules bumping unnaturally against his was discerning beyond words. Then, she was stumbling backwards- free, her throat raw from screaming. Self-awareness ended as she became tangible again: the abrupt shift from internal to external focus leaving her slightly off-balance. The whole experience was surreal.

"My hand! Bitch! What'd you do to my hand?!"

The disoriented girl stared at the limb her aggressor held cradled to his chest. He had stepped back, still yelling, right hand hanging limply from his wrist joint. Her powers shorting out had caused the man internal injury. Kagome suddenly felt weak-kneed and very sick.

"Kagome. Get behind me."

Horror over what she'd done was quickly eclipsed by relief. Inuyasha stood behind her with frizzed hair, shoulders squared in a defensive stance. A feral growl completed his dangerous persona.

"Up already?" Hiten said, anger boiling over his surprise. "I'll kill you… I'll fucking kill the both of you!"

"Kagome!"

She needed no further prompting. Hiten continued to curse as she obeyed Inuyasha's command, hands fisting into his shirt in a subconscious display of reassurance. The youkai cocked his head curiously.

"Wait for it," he spoke to her in a low voice. "When he attacks, I want you to make run for it."

"What about you?" she whispered against his back.

"I can handle 'im," he snorted confidently. "Now that I know what this bastard can dish out. You just get out of here."

"Inuyasha," Kagome started to argue, but stopped. Deep down, she knew she would listen to him anyway. Adrenaline could only push her so far. "Alright… be careful, then."

He never got the chance to respond.

The wind (which had barely been a light breeze until this point) drastically increased, whipping stray hair away from their faces. Hiten, who had begun advancing during their short conversation, suddenly switched tactics. He scrabbled backwards as an unknown force pulled him forward, finally swiping his feet out from under him. Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha before the suction could catch her as well.

Then, the wind abruptly stopped.

"What the hell?!" Hiten sputtered.

A motor revved loudly, causing all three to turn. At the alley entrance, a mysterious man sat on a motorbike: his identity obscured by helmet and long trench coat. Inuyasha tensed as the stranger lifted a gloved hand, raising his visor to reveal a familiar teasing grin.

"Hey, Kagome! Inuyasha!" Miroku called out. "Need a hand?"

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

TBC…

An A/N on Kanna's directions… or some more useless trivia: I originally intended to write out street names, until I did some research on the Japanese address system and found out it's WAY different (and complicated as all-get-out IMHO). Apparently, instead of naming streets, each city block has a number and each building on that block has another number on top of that. When giving verbal or written directions, Japanese tend to use landmarks instead for simplicity sake. I tried to mimic that a bit in Kanna's speech. Suzushu Station is a completely fictional landmark I made up by combining the names of the two main characters in Takahashi's short manga _Firetripper_.

As always, I encourage critique. Its been a while since I wrote straight action, so please let me know what you think about the pacing in this chapter.


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